S2E1: Skeletons in the Closet
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: While Hiccup trains himself to combat Viggo should the dragon hunters return, he is captured by the same people he's trying to defeat. Can Hiccup triumph this next round of Maces and Talons, or will Viggo claim victory once again?
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR RACE TO THE EDGE! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED, STOP READING RIGHT NOW!**

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 **Was that an adequate warning? Was it? Everyone who doesn't want to be spoiled gone? OKAY! :D So, I haven't actually seen all of the Race to the Edge episodes, but I accidentally had the season finale spoiled, so...yeah. I'm writing this now, because when you have an idea, you can't wait around. It ain't gonna write itself! :) Hope you enjoy it, and let me know if I got anything wrong. This would take place directly after the season finale for the second season of Race to the Edge, and it contains some of my HEADCANONS. Some CANON, some HEADCANON. Enjoy! Oh, and remember...YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED AS I WAS, DO NOT READ ON! :D :D :D ENJOY! :D**

 **Oh, and _p.s.,_ "Stay With Me" will be updated soon. Until then, you'll have to wait to find out what happens to poor Hiccup and his friends. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! :D **

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Hiccup and Fishlegs sat across from each other at a small table, the gameboard of Maces and Talons sitting atop the surface of the wood. Fishlegs looked concerned; Hiccup wore his best poker face. He pointed to the North corner of the board, where lurked two of his remaining seven hunters.

"Your move, Fishlegs," he said.

Fishlegs looked absolutely frantic, and he kept covering his face with his hands as if expecting the board to vanish and all to be over. He moved his Chief piece with a trembling hand and waited.

Hiccup took one of his hunters - the one holding a giant mace - and knocked Fishlegs' Chief over.

"I win," he said.

Fishlegs, groaning, though it sounded to be more in relief than annoyance, stood from his seat and left the table. Behind the chair stood Astrid, Snotlout, and the twins, who had been watching the game from start to finish.

"Okay, another round," said Hiccup, setting up the pieces again. "Astrid, Snotlout, Ruff, Tuff, which one of you want to go next?"

"Hiccup, you've played, _and_ beaten us all at least _twice_ ," said Astrid. "It's time for a break."

"No, I can't take a break," said Hiccup gravely, not even looking up at Astrid as he continued to reset the pieces. "You don't understand."

"Yes we do!" said Snotlout, arms crossed, leaning against Hookfang. He looked almost smug. "You're just angry because you were beaten, and you're not used to being beaten! If you ask me, you're just _sulking_."

Hiccup's glare would have been enough to make anyone back down, even Snotlout. "I failed," he said. "Heather could have been killed. One of you guys could have been killed, because Viggo beat me. I have to be ready the next time he tries to attack us. We can't risk something like that happening again."

Snotlout didn't say anything else; he merely sighed and, for once, had nothing to say.

"Listen, Hiccup," said Astrid, "you've been at this too long. Viggo's been gone for weeks, he's not going to come back and attack any time soon-"

"But he _will_ come back," said Hiccup. "You and I both know he will. As soon as he finds some way to open the Dragon Eye, or whatever he wants to do, he'll be back, and unless I'm ready, he'll beat me twice...and this time, he might not be as forgiving."

"Hey," said Snotlout arrogantly, "none of us got killed last time."

"He wasn't _trying_ to kill us last time," Hiccup said, pushing back his chair and rising to a stand. "He could have killed me at least three times, but he didn't. He was after the Dragon Eye then, but now that he has that, who knows what he'll be coming for next time he attacks."

Astrid looked down at the Maces and Talons board, once again set up, as it was supposed to be. Then, she raised her eyes back to Hiccup.

"Hiccup," she said, "you'll have plenty of time to prepare...but right now, you also need time to yourself. Take a break, alright? Go on a flight with Toothless. It'll help you take your mind off things."

Hiccup looked at Toothless, who was gazing outside sadly at the dark, night sky. He looked at Hiccup and growled longingly. Hiccup sighed; he hadn't flown Toothless ever since his defeat...he didn't even know how long ago that had been.

"Fine," he said, "but tomorrow, we're all doing another round, or two, or three-"

" _Go,_ already," said Snotlout, gesturing towards the door. "After you, Princess Outpost."

Hiccup turned and mounted Toothless wordlessly. Astrid approached, looking uncertain.

"Don't worry, Hiccup," she said. "It'll be fine."

Hiccup sighed again, offered her a small smile, and Toothless launched himself into the sky, wings spread to full length. Astrid watched them until they were out of sight; then, she turned to face the other riders. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were having a staring contest with Chicken, Snotlout looked bored, and Fishlegs was still eyeing the Maces and Talons game.

"He's too hard on himself," said Fishlegs. "He doesn't realize how much he did against Viggo. Going down the Typhoomerang's fire... _I_ never would have thought about that, and I'm supposed to be the one with all the dragon facts."

"None of us are Hiccup," said Tuffnut.

"Yeah," said Ruffnut, shaking her head. "Put yourself in his shoe for once."

Astrid looked at the twins, sure this was another one of their crazy, meaningless schemes. "What do you mean?" she said, hoping her suspicion wasn't obvious.

"Well," said Tuffnut, "think about it. Hiccup's been through a lot, right? And none of it was really his choice...you know, losing the leg, being targeted by Alvin, now by Dagur, and now, by these lunatic dragon hunters."

"Yeah," said Ruffnut. "Imagine going through so much and being able to _get through_ so much, because of his massive intellect. I mean, seriously. Hiccup's smart, clever, and he knows more about dragons than even Fishlegs here, and he knows how to take what he knows and apply it to our situations."

"And _now_ imagine someone taking _everything_ he's good at," said Tuffnut, "and TWISTING it-" At this, Tuffnut wrenched his hands, as though strangling someone, "-and using it AGAINST him until FINALLY...he starts to doubt himself."

Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Astrid stared at the two craziest members of their team, mouths agape in both shock and confusion.

"What?" said Ruffnut. "We can have points, too, you know."

"If that's true," said Astrid thoughtfully, "it would make a lot of sense. Hiccup would do anything for any of us, no matter what happened to him…"

"And Viggo knew that," said Fishlegs, "somehow. And he used it against Hiccup by capturing Heather."

"And Hiccup's planning," said Snotlout, finally dropping his prideful attitude long enough to get out his thought. "Viggo was just one step ahead of him."

"And finally, the final blow," said Fishlegs. "Dragon knowledge. Hiccup knew the Flightmare could paralyze, and Viggo knew he knew that, so Viggo had the Flightmare paralyze Hiccup and Toothless in order to take the Dragon Eye."

"So he took all of Hiccup's strengths," said Astrid, "and used them against him."

"Man, this Viggo guy is a _genius!"_ said Tuffnut. "Outsmarting Hiccup! That takes some _serious_ stuff. _Serious_ stuff."

"And if he did it intentionally," said Fishlegs, "with the motive of making Hiccup insecure…"

"He succeeded there," said Astrid. She looked up at the sky, where Hiccup and Toothless had recently disappeared. "We just have to talk to Hiccup," she said, "tell him that we know he's not a failure...make sure he knows that we're here for him."

"Good idea," said Fishlegs. "For now, let's all get some sleep. Hiccup might be gone for a few hours."

The riders nodded, bid each other goodnight, and retired for the day, hoping tomorrow would welcome better things than today.

Soaring over Dragon's Edge was the form of Toothless, nearly impossible to see during the dead of night. The moon, nearly full, shed light on the forest below, though from up here, Hiccup couldn't see the ground; only the tops of trees and the sound of the tide pulling against the waves.

Hiccup sighed heavily. "What about you, Toothless?" he asked quietly. "Do you think I ever actually stood a chance against Viggo?"

Toothless growled and tossed his head.

"Well, I know he had the advantage in numbers," said Hiccup, "and he had more time to plan than me...he forced my hand for Heather, I didn't have much time to do any planning...he had the entire thing mapped out in his head, ever since he found out she was a traitor...with more preparation, I think I _might_ stand a chance."

Toothless growled again.

"I know, I know, I'm probably overthinking it," said Hiccup, "but next time Viggo attacks, I don't know, maybe we'll be ready...but first, I have to make sure that _I'm_ ready. I have to strategize, be like Viggo...Thor, I hate saying that…"

Toothless growled a third time, but this time, he didn't do it in answer to Hiccup's questions. He was growling at the ground below, at the tops of the trees. It took Hiccup little to no time to realize the change in behavior, and when he did, he leaned forward, looking at the ground urgently.

"What is it, bud?" he asked.

Toothless didn't have time to answer. From below came a _SWISH_ , and the next thing Hiccup knew, he and his dragon were captured by a thick net. Toothless roared and thrashed, but the net held tight, and they soon lost air.

As they fell, Hiccup tried to pull his dagger off his belt and cut the ropes, but this was hard to do, and the only thing he managed to achieve was slicing a deep gash through his own hand and dropping the knife before they hit the ground.

The treetops broke their fall, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Hiccup lifted his head as much as he could with the rope still over him and glanced over at Toothless, who had come out unharmed, but still roped by the net. Before Hiccup had the chance to do or say anything, someone strode towards him.

Someone Hiccup recognized and loathed all the same.

"Good evening, brother," said Dagur, grinning madly. The scars on his face looked horrible, and his hair looked redder than usual, the gleam in his eyes more insane than ever. "I hope you don't mind me coming over uninvited. Oh, and I brought some friends with me, too! I believe you two have met."

Dagur stepped aside, and Ryker took his place, crossbow held in his hand. Toothless snarled at him both, and Hiccup bared his teeth.

"Evening, Hiccup," said Ryker.

Toothless growled threateningly, and men held the rope down to keep it securely in place.

"Why have you come here, Ryker?" Hiccup growled. "You have the Dragon Eye, don't you? You have what you want."

Ryker's glare hardened, and Hiccup glared harsher in response.

"My brother thinks you are useful to us," said Ryker lowly. "Foolish, if you ask me. If I had my way, you'd be dead."

"Come, come, brother," said another voice Hiccup recognized, "there's no need for threats. This boy is our guest of honor. He should be treated well."

Hiccup swallowed hard, refusing to show his fear. "Hello, Viggo," he said.

"Hello, Hiccup Haddock the Third," said Viggo calmly. "It is so wonderful to see you again." He raised one finger, and Ryker shot the arrow loaded in the crossbow; it was tiny, more of a dart than an arrow, and it sank right into Toothless' leg.

"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup shouted, and before he could react, Toothless' eyes shut, and he dropped to the ground, snoring. Hiccup turned back to Ryker, Dagur, and Viggo, an inch away from snarling. "What did you do?" he demanded.

"Sedated him," said Viggo, "but it shouldn't harm him. Now, stand up, or we will have to do the same to you."

The nets were flung off him, and he didn't see another option. So, he stood up, albeit reluctantly, and glared harshly at his enemy. Viggo's men charged forward and began tying him up, arms behind his back, more ropes pinning his upper arms to his side.

"A little threatening, you know, for someone who's supposed to be your 'honored guest,'" said Hiccup.

"Correct," said Viggo. "Admittedly, I didn't want to have to do this, Hiccup, but unfortunately, you are not to be trusted on any account. Dagur tells me you have a way of escaping through others, and that is something that will not happen as long as you are my captive. Are we clear?"

"As clear as mud," said Hiccup with a slightly hysteric grin. "What are you going to do with Toothless?"

"Nothing," said Viggo, smiling. "He is to be left here as a clue for your fellow dragon riders. We shall see how well they can think without their leader guiding them by the hand."

He looked down at the nets, smiled, and then back up at Hiccup. "We didn't use our own nets, Hiccup," he said. "We smuggled nets from Outcast Island. I believe you've heard of it? No, I believe Berk has a _peace_ treaty with the Outcasts, does it not?"

Hiccup didn't answer.

"Yes, yes," said Viggo. "I trust your riders will find your Night Fury...and all evidence will point towards…"

"The Outcasts," said Hiccup. "That's...that's…"

"Ingenious," said Viggo.

"Tedious," said Hiccup.

"Fair enough," said Viggo, examining a fingernail idly. "But it will lead them astray, at least for a time. Even you can see that."

"But why?" said Hiccup, already racking his brains for all answers, all possible conclusions. "Why would you want to lead them astray like that?"

"Well, think about it," said Viggo, putting his hands together. "If all evidence points to the Outcasts, where will they search for you first?"

"Outcast Island."

"Precisely," said Viggo. "As far away from our base as possible. I believe we will have plenty of time to get acquainted, Hiccup. Plenty of time for another round of...oh, let's say...Maces and Talons?"

Hiccup's glare was so cold it was below freezing point - but the more he glared, the bigger Viggo's smile became.


	2. Chapter 2

**So, hey guys! You guys are lucky! TWO chapters today! :D :D Can I tell you a kinda-sad-kinda-funny story? Yes? No? Well, here goes anyway. :D**

 **So, I was walking my dog earlier this morning (she's a Red Merle Austrelian Shepherd, so she needs a lot of exercise), and I was running, and I was actually feeling kinda cool, 'cause I was getting exercise and my doggie was really happy, and then-**

 **BOOM! My shoe falls off, and I KID YOU NOT, I tumbled and rolled and skidded for a good ten seconds before I finally stopped - you know, the way it goes down in the movies, where the character rolls and tumbles a good ten feet.**

 **So, obviously, I let go of my dog's leash during my tumble, and so while I was lying on the ground, my dog ran, leapt, AND TUMBLED EXACTLY THE SAME WAY I DID! She was trying to copy me, and it was hilarious, because she was so happy and rolling around on her back while I laughed hysterically and sobbed because falling down hurt.**

 **But it was funny. I'm really sore, but it was really funny all the same because of my dog's reaction to my fall. XD**

 **Anyways, you're probably all bored with hearing about me and my tumbling abilities, so I'm just gonna go on with the shout-outs, and leave you amazing readers chapter 2! See ya! :D Shout-outs:**

 **ShadowSpirit020: Awww yiiiisssss, save Hiccup, gang! Go dragon riders! ;D**

 **Shizuku Tsukishima749: Thanks! :D Yeah, the twins are actually really, really REALLY amazing characters. :D**

 **StarFlight13: Hahaha, thanks! Glad you like it so far! :D I really, really, really wanted to pull and all-nighter and watch them all as quickly was was humanly possible, but unfortunately...*sighs*...School... XD**

 **Sophhascoconuts: OH YEEEESSS! Because if I can recall, Hiccup's never actually been full-blown beaten like that before now. Sure, he's had some rough turns and stuff, but he's never been beaten like THIS before. It was right up in his face, too! He watched Viggo take the Dragon Eye without being able to do anything about it. And the way he screamed in fury at the end of the episode...it was almost more dramatic than the scream in HTTYD2. D: I'm not so sure how dark this is going to get, to be frank. I'm just going to say, there will be a lot of Hiccup sass and Ryker getting angry. XD**

 **Dragons and Kratts: Thanks! :D I'm glad you liked the line! :D**

 **Jo: YEEEEESSS, Viggo is probably the BEST villain this series has had in a while. I mean, Alvin was threatening and all, and so is Dagur, but Viggo is just...well, first of all, Viggo BEAT Hiccup, which is something Alvin and Dagur never managed to do before. I really think Viggo is the only villain I've seen so far (besides maybe Drago) who has actually stood against Hiccup and WON. :D I'm glad you like the story so far! :D**

 **midnightsky0612: Yeeesssss, all that in one chapter...so much drama and intense stuff goin' on around here...yeeesss...XD**

 **Eeveecat1248: HAHAHA! I'm sure he thought about that, you know, but Viggo and his barbaric band of barbarians would've stopped him before he had the chance to. LOL! :D**

 **Charr2003: Thanks! *claps along with the rest of the applause* I'm glad you're enjoying it so far, and I hope you enjoy it all the way to the end! :D**

 **AquaticDragon: Thanks! :D**

 **Martyn: That's a thought! I don't know how much I'm going to do in this fic yet, but that's an idea! :D Thanks! :D**

 **Galaxy-Mitsuko-Pegasus: Ooh, yes, battles of the minds are always very interesting to watch. And I thought Hiccup was going to swoop in at the end and save the day - nope! Man! Why did it have to end like that? I hope we don't have to wait much longer, but it'll probably still be six months anyway...*sigh* Oh well...**

 **LunarCatNinja: Haha! Yeah, sorry "Stay With Me" is such a heart-wrenching story...and you still don't know what happens to Hiccup and his friends! Man, I am EVIL sometimes, and I don't even want or mean to be! It just...just...HAPPENS when you're an author! D: Hahaha! :D I hope you enjoy the rest of this story! :D**

 **brooklynn: Hey there! :D Good ideas you got there! :D Yes, I will be continuing this story until the very end, but since I already have it plotted out, I don't know if I'll be using your suggestions. But maybe in a future story, I will! :D Thanks! :D**

 **Dimentional Phaser: Yep, that dart's a dead giveaway, ain't it? :) Yeah, thanks for letting me know! :D I already planned to take it out in the next chapter. The only reason I didn't mention it in the first chapter was because it would've probably taken away some of the tension of the moment. XD Thanks! :D**

 **MissPitchPerfect25: Cliffhangers of DEATH. DX**

 **Crystallion12: Minor flaw? Well, let me know if I don't cover it later on. ;) It's important that I do. :) If you're talking about the thing with the Skrill, I know about that. :D I'm glad you like the story so much, too! Thanks for reviewing! :D**

 **Iron Rose Writer: Thanks! It's always good to know I'm keeping all of the characters "in character." :D The twins ROCK! :D :D :D**

 **katherined: Thanks! Glad you like it! :D**

 **Leska: I will aaaaallllwwaayyysss coonnnttiinnnuuueeeeeee. :D**

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Astrid was practicing her aiming in the training ring with Stormfly, flinging her axe at targets while Stormfly kicked them at random to train her rider. Astrid threw her axe, and the blade embedded into the golden center of the target.

"Yes!" Astrid cheered, and she raced forward, yanked her axe out of the wood, and threw it at another nearby target, which she also proceeded to slice, directly down the middle, in two perfect, splintered halves. "Come on, girl, that's enough training for today," said Astrid, retrieving her axe and hurrying back towards Stormfly. "Let's go see how the others are doing."

Stormfly growled in agreement, and once Astrid was mounted safely on her back, the dragon launched herself into the air. They landed on the wooden platform in front of the Clubhouse, and Astrid took note of the dragons also waiting on the platform: Hookfang, and Meatlug were there, but no sign of Toothless.

It made sense the twins were gone: they were always off early in the morning practicing their stunts on their dragon, but for Toothless to not be here this late into the morning...it was strange.

Astrid double checked, just to make sure she wasn't missing anything, but no, she was certain: Toothless was nowhere to be seen. Brows furrowed in confusion, she turned and headed into the Clubhouse, where Snotlout and Fishlegs were arguing.

"It's _MY_ bludgeon!" shouted Snotlout angrily. "I claimed it!"

"You claimed it from _me!"_ protested Fishlegs, holding said bludgeon out of reach, over his head. "But rightfully, it's mine!"

No sign of Hiccup, either.

"Snotlout, Fishlegs!" Astrid called, and the two of her friends stopped arguing long enough to look at her. "Where's Hiccup?"

Fishlegs whacked Snotlout on the head with the bludgeon, and Snotlout, with a cry of protest, was slammed against the ground. "He's not up yet?" said Fishlegs; Snotlout mumbled a quiet, "I'm okay." "Hiccup isn't an early riser, Astrid," said Fishlegs, throwing the bludgeon out the door. Meatlug caught it and swallowed it for safekeeping. "Maybe he's still sleeping."

That was a thought, especially if Hiccup was up late flying with Toothless. She nodded, ready to get back on Stormfly and look for Hiccup, when the arrival of Ruffnut and Tuffnut on their two-headed Zippleback put a halt on her plans.

The twins leapt off their dragon and raced inside, almost frantic.

"Have any of you seen Hiccup?" Ruffnut asked instantly.

"Yeah," said Tuffnut, "we can't find him anywhere."

"Where is 'anywhere'?" asked Astrid, spinning to face the two Thorstons.

"His hut, the training ring, the arena, our hut, your hut, Fishlegs' hut, Snotlout's hut, the ocean, the beach, the caves, the mountains-" Ruffnut began, counting things off on her fingers.

"So you meant _literally_ anywhere," said Fishlegs.

"-the tunnels, underground, we put up a tent and looked for him there, inside Barf's mouth, inside Belch's mouth, inside Meatlug's mouth-"

"Why were you two looking for Hiccup anyway?" said Snotlout, finally managing to pull himself back to his feet by bracing his hands against a nearby table.

"We wanted to tell him how awesome he is," said Tuffnut, "you know, since he's been doubting himself ever since Viggo, but, as we said-"

"-We haven't been able to find him," finished Ruffnut, disappointed. "At all."

"Okay," said Astrid, "this is bad. We can't find Toothless, either."

Ruffnut and Tuffnut's eyes widened, and they lifted their heads at once, almost as if they were the same person.

"Oh," they said, as if hit by a sudden realization.

"What?" said Fishlegs and Astrid and Snotlout in unison instantly.

"Well, you should have _said_ we were looking for Toothless," said Ruffnut, crossing her arms when she had finished speaking. "We passed him in the forest."

"And you didn't think it was at all weird for Toothless to be in the forest without Hiccup?" growled Snotlout.

"Well, don't look at us!" said Tuffnut, crossing his arms, taking up the same posture as his sister. "We don't know anything!"

Astrid was already making her way to Stormfly, as was Fishlegs making his way towards Meatlug. "Show us where you saw Toothless," said Astrid, leaping atop Stormfly's back. "Now."

Ruffnut and Tuffnut mounted their dragon instantly, and they flew off, Snotlout taking up the rear with the twins in the lead.

"He's right...there!" said Tuffnut, pointing downwards at the thick treetops of the forest below. The riders turned their dragons and dove, towards the forest floor. Sure enough, there was Toothless, but something was obviously wrong. The dragon was thrashing, and thickly woven ropes held him down.

"Toothless!" Astrid called. "Hang on!" She leapt off Stormfly's back when the Nadder got close enough to the ground, and she drew her axe. With three quick swipes, the net was in pieces, and Toothless was freed.

Toothless threw back his head and roared into the sky. Astrid sheathed her axe as the other riders landed behind her and dismounted.

"What's he doing?" Snotlout said blankly, as if he genuinely expected an answer.

"Toothless, where's Hiccup?" said Astrid urgently. Toothless stared at her, and then, he roared towards the east - then, to the west - then, to the north, and then the south likewise.

It was obvious.

Toothless didn't know where Hiccup was.

"Astrid, you might want to see this," said Fishlegs' voice from the side, and Astrid hurried towards where he was kneeling. Fishlegs was examining the ropes carefully, eyes anxious.

"What's wrong?"

"These ropes," said Fishlegs. "They're woven with Odin's Twenty-Strand Braid, one of the strongest there is."

"Odin's Twenty-Strand Braid?" asked Tuffnut. "What in Thor's name is that?"

"It's a difficult technique," said Fishlegs. "You take fifteen thick strands of rope, and make three long braids with them, each braid with three strands. Then, you braid the five strands together to make an impossibly tight chain. The only thing stronger than it is Thor's Thirty-Strand Braid-"

"Which is what the dragon hunters use," said Astrid, "so we can eliminate the dragon hunters as suspects...and the Berserkers don't use these kinds of nets at all."

"Okay, everyone, think," said Tuffnut. "Who has enough time on their hands to braid a twenty-strand net? Anyone? Anyone? Any takers?"

"I know," said Snotlout instantly. "The Outcasts. They use Odin's Twenty-Strand Braid."

"But the Outcasts are our allies," said Astrid, "and even if they weren't, we never told them where Dragon's Edge was, how would they have known where to find us...or even that we were here?"

"I don't know," said Fishlegs, his voice suddenly very panicked, "but either way...Hiccup is definitely in danger."

…

Hiccup was sitting with his back against the green bars of the dragon-proof cage he was locked in. His hands were tied behind his back uncomfortably tight, the ropes cutting into the flesh of his wrists, but he forced himself to glare and not grimace at every dragon hunter and Berserker that passed his cage.

His goal was to not let anyone see how panicked he actually was. He didn't know what to do; he wasn't ready, and his friends...would the hunters go back for his friends when they were done with him? What would happen to them? What about Toothless? Would they eventually get Toothless? And what did they want with the Dragon Eye?

To Hiccup's left was a cage full of small Terrible Terrors; babies, by the looks of it, and to his right was a Deadly Nadder with purple and green scales; a beautiful combination of colors, actually, when it came to dragons. They were chained and covered in scars; it was horrible to look at.

Ryker and Dagur approached, their arms crossed. "Viggo wants you to join him for dinner," said Ryker, reaching to unlock the cage. Dagur was carrying long, heavy chains, smirking smugly. "Said he wanted to talk to you. You'll have to excuse us for our precautions."

The door opened, and he was grabbed roughly. Dagur and Ryker put the shackle clasps on his hands, and then, one around the one ankle he had.

"Are the chains really necessary?" Hiccup said. "Look around you! We're in the middle of the ocean! What do you expect me to do? I'm not stupid, I'm not going to try to escape by _swimming_."

"Shut your mouth," ordered Ryker, "or we'll gag you, too."

"Ha!" said Hiccup, because when all else failed, his sarcasm was his best weapon. "An empty threat! You said Viggo wanted to _talk_ to me, and in order to do that, you'll have to take off the gag."

"We can gag you until we get there," said Ryker, giving the chains a yank as though he were threatening.

"I can talk if I want to!" said Hiccup loudly. "Or maybe I'll sing! How would you like _that?"_

He was being stupid, but he didn't have much of a choice. He wasn't going to let the hunters know he was afraid. So, he lifted his head, and screamed the first song that came to mind: The Hooligan National Anthem.

"OH, I DIDN'T MEAN TO COME HERE," Hiccup scream-sang in the most off-key way he could manage as Ryker and Dagur shunted him off to below the decks, "AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO STAY. IT'S JUST WHERE THE SEA WIND BLEW ME ONE ACCIDENTAL DAY!"

"Will you shut him up!?" snapped Ryker.

There was another one that came to mind; he didn't know where it came from, but he sang it anyway.

"UP WITH YOUR SWORD AND STRIKE AT THE GALE," he said. "RIDE THE ROUGH SEAS FOR THOSE WAVES ARE YOUR HOME! WINTERS MAY FREEZE BUT OUR HEARTS DO NOT FAIL. HOOLIGAN...HEARTS...FOREVER!"

Yes.

He was a Hooligan, in tribe status, and in mental status. He was panicked, but refusing to show it. Ryker and Dagur didn't have any gags on hand, and Hiccup knew this; it was the reason he was testing their word. Meanwhile, as he was dragged and yelled at for being so obnoxious, his mind began to race, and he began to think, to begin putting together a strategy to escape.

 _Ryker and Dagur are full of empty threats...Dagur doesn't like following orders from anyone...that must include Viggo or Ryker...Ryker is scared of Viggo, but he also respects him, I wonder why…_

He didn't have much time to wonder. They reached the captain's quarters of the ship, and Hiccup was led inside, chains clanking and shaking in his wake.


	3. Chapter 3

**HELLO GUYS! :D So, chapter 3! :D These chapters are a little longer than my usual chapter length, so there will probably be less chapters in this story than usual...like, maybe around eight or nine. They're double the length of my usual chapters (1,000 words usual length, 2,000+ words new length). So, yeah. Longer chapters, not as many. XD Here are your shout-outs, and enjoy chapter 3! :D Shout-outs:**

 **ShadowSpirit020: SAVE YOUR FRIEND, GANG! :D**

 **Shizuku Tsukishima749: I love the twins! They're amazing characters! :D Thanks for reviewing! :D**

 **Charr2003: YAY! I love cookies! :D *throws one back at you* Thanks for the review! :D I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! :D**

 **OechsnerC: Updating is ffuuuuuuunnnnn. :D :D :D**

 **Galaxy-Mitsuko-Pegasus: I always imagined Hiccup being really sassy and "2-fab-4-u" type thing when he's captured. XD Hiccup is so fun. :) And yes, the SINGING. XD Whenever I laugh really hard about something, my brothers all crowd around the computer like "What's so funny?" and I can't even tell them what it is because I'm laughing so hard. :D**

 **Leska: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it! :D**

 **Guest (#1): Updated! :D**

 **AquaticDragon: Hahahaha! :D I love updating! :D Aww, thanks! :D :D :D**

 **StarFlight13: NOOOOO they fell for it! D: Oh well. They'll right that wrong soon enough! Probably...maybe...who knows...XD And yeah...SCHOOL. D: XD Continuing story, ALWAYS! I will never give up once I start something! NEVER SURRENDER! *stomps foot* *fist-bump* WHOOP WHOOP! :D :D :D**

 **Martyn: The Anthem came from the HTTYD books, so yeah, that's where it came from. :D**

 **Midnight510: Thanks! :D I imagine the Outcasts went back to their island when Hiccup and the riders chased off the Skrill. I can understand evacuating from a time, but the Outcasts would probably be back on their island as soon as the Skrill stopped hunting Hiccup and Toothless. :) And yeah, I LOVE the songs! :D**

 **The Furry Paragon: Thanks! :D And I bow back! *bows***

 **Carly Marley: OH MY GOSH SINGING IN THE FACE OF DARTH VADER! Darth Vader would either be too confused to react, or so annoyed he chokes us. XD SING FOREVERMORE! :D :D :D**

 **Eeveecat1248: GO HICCUP! :D And thank you for reviewing! :D**

 **Iron Rose Writer: Thanks! I'm glad I'm keeping everyone in character! :D Let me know if at anytime anyone starts acting OOC. :D**

 **Guest (#2): Thanks! :D**

 **LunarCatNinja: Yeeesss...we shall see...*poses like Sherlock* Yess...XD**

* * *

"Welcome, welcome, Hiccup," said Viggo, rising to his feet when Hiccup was dragged unceremoniously into the room. "Please, sit down."

He didn't have a choice. He was shoved into a chair on the opposite side of the long table, and the chains on his arms and legs were bolted to the floor. He had just enough slack where he could raise his arms over his head, but not enough slack to escape or attack anyone.

Viggo took his seat again at the other end of the long table and dug into the plate of food in front of him. Hiccup didn't move. He didn't say anything. In complete contrast to the act he displayed on the main deck of the ship, he was silent. His glare never faltered. His eyes remained narrowed.

"So, Hiccup the Third, you go by?" said Viggo. "Hiccup Haddock the Third...Hiccup Haddock...Hiccup _Horrendous_ Haddock the Third...tell me, what do you prefer to be called?"

Hiccup didn't say anything.

"We're on first name basis, wouldn't you say, Hiccup?" said Viggo calmly. When Hiccup still didn't answer, Viggo looked up. "You can help yourself. This is an invitation to dinner, not an interrogation."

"How do I know you didn't poison anything?" Hiccup growled.

"Because I have nothing to gain by poisoning you," said Viggo. "I do not want you dead, Hiccup." For a few moments, Viggo said nothing more, continuing to eat, and Hiccup continuing to glare. "You are my guest," said Viggo. "I must say, I was very, _very_ impressed by the way you handled yourself our last encounter. Many men older and stronger and wiser than you didn't survive half as long as you did. I congratulate you, Hiccup."

Hiccup didn't say anything more.

"Hiccup Haddock the Third," Viggo sighed heavily, "I brought you here to negotiate. To talk. Can't we talk? Opponent to opponent? Genius to genius?"

"Victim to smuggler," Hiccup said coldly.

"If you want to look at it that way, it is entirely up to you," said Viggo. "But I would like to know if we can have a proper conversation. If not, I will have to ask Ryker and Dagur to escort you back to your cell."

Hiccup glared down at his chains, and then back up at Viggo. Viggo looked at him expectantly.

"Fine," Hiccup said. "What do you want?"

"I believe we got off on the wrong start," said Viggo, folding his hands.

"Yeah," Hiccup agreed. "Trying to kill my friend was a _terrible_ start, not to mention tricking us into coming to find the Flightmare."

"The friend you speak of was a traitor to us," said Viggo. If anything Hiccup said bothered him, he didn't let it show, even slightly. "Tell me honestly. If you found out that one of your close friends was betraying you to me, how would you respond?"

"I wouldn't try to kill them," said Hiccup. "I would restrain them, put them in prison so they couldn't do any more damage...but none of my friends would do that."

"But you see where I am coming from, then," said Viggo. "Your friend, the traitor, Heather...she was a danger to me, my brother, Dagur, and my men. And tricking you into coming to find the Flightmare was necessary, as you can well imagine. But I must say...when my men raided your base, we found no trace of the Dragon Eye. It must have been hidden very well."

Hiccup swallowed. "Yeah," he said. "We had a pretty great hiding place for it."

"But no hiding matters in the end, does it?" said Viggo. "Because, as you know, in the end, I got what I wanted. I got the Dragon Eye."

"But you can't open it," said Hiccup. "You can't open the Dragon Eye without a Snow Wraith key. Why did you want it so badly if you knew you wouldn't be able to open it?"

Viggo looked up at him skeptically. "The Dragon Eye belonged to the ancient people of my tribe," he said. "The Dragon Eye is an heirloom to us. It means more than you could imagine, Hiccup Haddock the Third. Take that into account."

Hiccup looked down at his chains again. "You chained me," he said blatantly. Viggo nodded coolly. "Why?"

"Precautions," said Viggo. "I wouldn't want my guest escaping before we had a chance to become acquainted, would I?"

"You wanted to talk to me," said Hiccup, leaning forward, resting his elbows against the table; his chains clinked and clanked against each other. "What about? Why kidnap me in the first place?"

"We brought you here," said Viggo, "so that I may attempt to recruit you. You are a smart boy, Hiccup, and with some training, you can become brilliant. I am willing to give you that training, to teach you everything I know, so that if ever you need to fight a battle, you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can win it."

"Yeah, thanks but no thanks," said Hiccup, shrugging. "See, I have this thing called a _conscience_ , and this _conscience_ tells me every now and then that stabbing my friends in the back by joining the enemy is _wrong_."

Viggo leaned forward. "Hiccup," he said, almost urgently, "if you do not join me, I cannot guarantee your safety. You are a worthy adversary, but things can only continue for so long before they simply _must_ end."

Behind him, Hiccup heard the groaning of a sword scraping against its sheath: Ryker and Dagur were drawing their weapons.

"I don't need my safety guaranteed," said Hiccup.

"Very well," said Viggo. "What about your friends? I know where they are, Hiccup. I know where your base is. I will have no problem finding them, taking them...maybe you'll change your mind about which side you're on when you see your friends as my hostages."

Hiccup looked down. His friends...they thought he had been kidnapped by Outcasts, no doubt. They were probably looking for him either on Berk, or Outcast Island. He hoped they weren't at the Edge; that's where Viggo was expecting them to be.

"You asked for me to join you," said Hiccup, "but my answer is no."

"That is your problem, Hiccup," said Viggo. "You care too much about your friends to betray them, to put them in danger...it is the difference between you and me." He smiled, almost cruelly. "Tell me," he said. "Before Ryker and Dagur lead you back to your cage, would you care to join me in a game of Maces and Talons? For old time's sake?"

…

Astrid, Fishlegs, the twins and Snotlout soared over the open ocean, the waves swirling as if they were being stirred by an invisible giant. The dragons swerved between jagged sea stacks jutting out of the ocean, and Astrid knew in a heartbeat: they were nearing Outcast Island.

"Are you sure we shouldn't bring Stoick into this, Astrid?" called Fishlegs, flanking Astrid and Stormfly on Meatlug. "He'd want to know if Alvin captured Hiccup."

"I know he would," said Astrid, "but we don't know if the Outcasts have Hiccup yet. Bringing Stoick into it could start a full-blown war if we accuse Alvin before we have evidence!"

"Isn't the Outcast rope evidence enough?" said Snotlout; he had the job of carrying the net they had found with Toothless, rolled into a sack and slung over his shoulder.

"No, it isn't," said Astrid. "Anyone could use Odin's Twenty-Strand braid for their nets. We don't know if it's the Outcasts for sure."

"So what is our plan?" said Snotlout.

"We fly in," said Astrid. "No one say anything about Hiccup missing. We'll return the net and ask, subtly, why we found Toothless caught in it on Dragon's Edge. We'll see how Alvin reacts, and then, we'll leave. If we think he has Hiccup, _then_ we can bring Stoick and the Berkians into it."

"And what if he doesn't have Hiccup?" piped Ruffnut in a slightly sing-song voice.

"Then," said Astrid, "we'll _also_ bring Stoick into it, but we won't mention the Outcasts as suspects."

If anyone had anything else to say, they didn't have a chance to say it; they had arrived at Outcast Island. The dragons landed, and the riders dismounted. Outcasts were watching them, and as soon as they recognized the riders and dragons, they raised their hands and waved cheerily. Astrid waved back.

"They're not trying to stop us," she whispered to Fishlegs.

"Yeah," said Fishlegs back in a whisper. "They're not even raising their weapons."

They stopped whispering when Alvin the Treacherous, leader of the Outcasts, stepped forward, arms spread.

"'Ello, dragon riders!" he said; his voice was still gravelly, but it was also cheery, as if he were thrilled to see them. "What an unexpected pleasure this is!" He looked at each rider, and then at each dragon. He looked confused. "Where's 'iccup?"

"Oh, he's away right now," Astrid lied instantly. "He gives you his regards. We wanted to ask you something, Alvin."

"Anything," said Alvin.

Snotlout stepped forward, undid the ties on the sack, and dumped the net onto the ground at Alvin's feet. Alvin stared in confusion at the net, brows furrowed.

"That's one of our nets!" he said, pointing.

"Yes, it is," said Astrid, "and we found it at our base, over a thousand miles away from here. We were just wondering why it was there, if maybe any of your Outcasts visited that island recently, maybe left a net behind…"

Alvin looked towards his docks and gestured. "None of my men 'ave left, Astrid," he said. "Since tha' blasted Skrill's attack, we 'aven't had any sea-worthy vessels! It destroyed 'em all!"

Now that Astrid thought about it, she _hadn't_ seen any ships in the Outcast port. And Astrid would know if Alvin was lying...she could usually tell when someone was lying, and even Alvin the Treacherous was a terrible liar.

"Why do you ask?" said Alvin. "Is somethin' wrong?"

"Hiccup's been abducted," said Tuffnut blatantly. "We found Toothless caught in the net back at our base and we were wondering if you had anything to do with it, or at least any idea where Hiccup was."

"Tuffnut!" said Astrid Snotlout, Fishlegs, and even Ruffnut.

"What?" said Tuffnut, confused. "Is that _not_ what's wrong?"

Alvin looked at them carefully. "Does Stoick know about this?" he said.

They shook their heads.

"We haven't told him yet," said Fishlegs. "We were going to wait until after we eliminated you as a suspect. Stoick would go mad if he thought you took Hiccup."

"Right straight he would," said Alvin crossly. "Do you 'ave any idea who else would be interested in takin' Stoick's boy?"

"Well, there is Dagur and the dragon hunters," said Astrid. "They're the only people I know who would do that. Their base is on the opposite side of the Edge, though…"

She was hit with a sudden realization. It was so obvious…

" _They_ took Hiccup!" said Astrid loudly. "Dagur and the dragon hunters! They must have used the net and set it up so the Outcasts were the ones who would get blamed!"

"Aye, sounds about right," said Alvin, nodding. "Dagur...I always knew 'e was trouble…"

"How could I not have _seen_ it?" Astrid said, pacing. "Hiccup would have never fallen into such an obvious trap!"

"Probably not," said Alvin, "but you ain't Hiccup, lass."

"We have to tell Stoick," said Fishlegs, "and get him in on this. Then, we can go to Viggo's base, and attack with everything we have."

"I'll tell you what," said Alvin. "When you send word to Stoick, tell him to make a stop 'ere before goin' to the base."

"Why would they do that?" said Tuffnut.

"Because," said Alvin, "with Dagur, yer goin' to need all the help you can get! Bring an extra ship or two from the Berkian armada, and we Outcasts'll give ya a hand in defeatin' Dagur and his allies."

Astrid nodded. "Alright," she said. "Do you have any Terrible Terrors around here?"

"Aye," said Alvin, nodding.


	4. Chapter 4

**Yeah, you guys get two updates in one day AGAIN! :D I love you all! Thanks for the awesome reviews! And here's chapter 4, and your shout-outs! :D Shout-outs:**

 **ShadowSpirit020: Yeahaha! GO ASTRID! :D**

 **LunarCatNinja: That is a thought, but I don't think anyone could ever convince Hiccup that the other riders betrayed him. I mean, he's with them nearly 24/7, plus, they're always trying to help him FIGHT Viggo...but it is a thought! Maybe I'll do another story like that sometime...maybe I can write one where Hiccup gets amnesia and is tricked into helping the enemy...that would be interesting. :D**

 **Galaxy-Mitsuko-Pegasus: Yes, I agree, Hiccup is a threat to Viggo, and Viggo knows that. I think as far as Hiccup and Viggo go, they're broth equally smart, and they both know how to use their intelligence for their own benefit. Let's see who triumphs! :D And haha, yeah, it would be funny if I predicted the next episodes! :D XD**

 **StarFlight13: HAHAHAHAHA! Thanks! Yeah, not superhuman, unfortunately, but I am a fangirl, so that probably explains a lot. XD Thanks for the review! :D NEVER SURRENDER! :D**

 **HappyPup1: Aw, thank you! :D Hiccup is amazing! I'd just love to hear him sing, you know? It'd be hilarious. He'd either have a really amazing voice, or a really horrible voice. XD And...sorry about...*clears throat awkwardly*...killing Hiccup...**

 **Toothless801: SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET! *opens closet* *skeletons fall out* AAAAHHHHHH! XD Yeah, I'm real random. But being random's just my cup of bubble soap! :D Yeah, the new episodes are AMAZING! :D We got a LOT of character development on just about everyone; the twins, Astrid, Hiccup (still can't believe he punched Snotlout, LOL! :D)...EVERYONE. :D IT WAS AMAZING! :D :D :D**

 **AquaticDragon: Thanks! :D I'm glad you're still enjoying it! :D**

 **Charr2003: I love parties! *dances* Wheeeeeee! :D Go Hiccup! Go Astrid! Go dragon riders! :D**

 **Shizuku Tsukishima749: I know! I'm not used to seeing Alvin as an ally to the Berkians, LOL! :D**

 **Carly Marley: SING! LIFT UP YOUR VOICES! LET US ALL JOIN TOGETHER AS ONE FANGIRL AND ANNOY DAGUR THE DERANGED TO LITERAL DEATH! :D :D :D :D YAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D**

 **Poseidon'sWizardingGuardian: I know, right? You can't rule ANYTHING out until you have ALL the evidence. I guess they're probably pretty shaken up, in a way, finding Toothless tied up without Hiccup to be found...irrational thinking due to anxiety. :) And YES. Berk's Got Talent trophy goes to Hiccup! XD :D**

 **hiccupandtoothless294: Nice! :D**

* * *

"Your move, Hiccup," said Viggo. "Take your time. We're in no hurry."

Hiccup had actually lost count of how long they had been playing Maces and Talons, and in honesty, he was surprised he had lasted this long. Hours had passed since the dinner had been cleared away and Hiccup and Viggo moved to a smaller side-table, with the Maces and Talons board already set-up as if it were waiting for them. The chains that were shackled to Hiccup's wrists and ankle were bolted, once again, into the wooden floor below.

Hiccup studied the pieces carefully, keeping up the best poker face he could. Viggo watched him patiently, but at the same time, skeptically, as if he were waiting like a wildcat ready to pounce, waiting for Hiccup to slip up and make the wrong move, leading to Viggo's victory…

But Hiccup didn't slip up. He put an elbow on the table and rested his chin against his knuckles, eyes moved towards the board constantly, never looking at Viggo, never looking at Ryker or Dagur, who were arguing quietly in the background.

"Soooo," Hiccup said heavily (the game had been going on for far too long; he was tired, but he wasn't going to give up and give Viggo the pleasure of beating him a second time), "if I move my hunter here, it'll give me an advantage over you...except...you have the opportunity to kill the hunter...yeah, sorry, I'm not going to do that."

And he moved one of his remaining six hunters back out of danger and to safety; he and Viggo were tied, both having lost two hunters. Viggo looked at the board, calmly, but slightly agitated.

"You cannot run forever, Hiccup," said Viggo coolly. "Sooner or later, you are going to _have_ to put one of your hunters in danger."

"Yeah, maybe," said Hiccup, "but I'm not so up to giving up my pieces that easily. You're going to have to chase me for a while first."

"Pieces as with people are expendable," said Viggo.

"No," said Hiccup, never once looking up at his opponent. "No they're not. Your move."

Viggo studied the board carefully, and then, looking confident and triumphant, moved his Mace Hunter forward, placing it directly between two of Hiccup's hunters.

"Now, as you can see," said Viggo, "if you attack this hunter, I have another hunter standing directly behind it, and that hunter will take out your hunter. So, contemplate, and tell me what you're going to-"

"Done it," said Hiccup, moving one of his other hunters. "Now, they're all safe."

Viggo looked simply beside himself, but he didn't let his anger show for more than an instant. He straightened the collar of his vest and looked back down at the board carefully.

"You know," said Hiccup, "we can always call it a night, come back to it tomorrow. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." He raised his shackled hands and jingled the chains for emphasis.

"Perhaps you're right," said Viggo, rising to a stand. "We will call a momentary peace treaty, Hiccup Haddock the Third." He looked over at Ryker and Dagur, who dropped their arguments and straightened their posture as if ready to fight. "Ryker, Dagur...feel free to ask him as many questions as you like. I will return shortly."

Viggo turned and left. Ryker and Dagur stepped into Hiccup's line of sight, weapons held in hand. Ryker smiled cruelly, as did Dagur.

"I've wanted to do this for a while," he said, thrusting his sword out in front of him.

"To...what? Interrogate me?" said Hiccup, gazing at Ryker with unmasked, mock confusion. "Don't blame me if you're disappointed."

Ryker bared his teeth. "Let's start with the basics," he said, "shall we? If we wanted to take Berk's dragons, what would be the best way in?"

"Northsouth. They'll never see it coming."

Ryker growled through his teeth. "You're the heir of Berk, so Dagur tells me," he said, examining the blade of his sword, "and you'll be a _dead_ heir if you don't learn to respect your superiors."

"Oh, superiors?" said Hiccup. "You mean kidnappers. Respect my kidnappers. Um...no."

"Let me handle this, Ryker," said Dagur, looking unbelievably smug at Ryker's failure. "You have to start slow with these kind of people. Get them to answer one or two questions right, and eventually, they'll spill it all."

He cleared his throat dramatically and leaned forward in front of Hiccup.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Sassypants," said Hiccup.

Dagur didn't look so smug anymore. "Name."

"Smartmouth."

" _Name_."

"Smartalek. Overbold. Saucy. Oh, I got it... _brazen_. Now _that_ is fun to say."

Ryker suddenly grabbed the chains and yanked them; Hiccup had been chained to the chair previously, so when the chains were pulled, the entire chair tipped forward ominously. Ryker grabbed the back of the chair before it fell and stared directly into Hiccup's eyes, pointing his sword at Hiccup's chest.

"You have a loose tongue for someone in your predicament," said Ryker.

"And you have really, _really_ bad breath for someone at all," said Hiccup.

"Do you even realize that we have the power to kill you, or let you live?"

"You don't have that kind of power, do you, Ryker?" said Hiccup. The smugness was an act, an act to make Ryker angry with him, so that Ryker spilled secrets without meaning to. "Viggo doesn't want me dead, and as long as he wants me alive, you can't touch me. It's an empty threat."

Ryker released the chair and pushed it backwards; the four legs of the chair hit the ground again. "You're right," he said.

"Of course I am," said Hiccup. "But what I still don't understand is...you're the older brother, aren't you? You're the one with the strength, the birthright...but Viggo...he must be the one with the brains, or else you wouldn't need him, right? You need him to plan your attacks."

"Yes, I do," said Ryker angrily, finally sheathing his sword. "I do need my brother. I'm not always proud of it, but I do need him regardless."

"Why do you take orders from him?" said Hiccup. "How did he become the 'superior' brother, so to say?"

"That's none of _your_ business," growled Ryker, tightening the grip on the hilt of his sword as if preparing to unsheath it once again. "You're our prisoner, and we're the ones running this interrogation."

Hiccup shrugged. "Well, go on. Interrogate me."

"What is the fastest-"

"Apple pie."

"AAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!" Ryker raised his fist, thought better of it, and spat.

…

"Astrid, how does this sound?" Fishlegs asked, racing towards her, holding a yellowed piece of parchment he had scribbled on. " _Stoick, Hiccup has been abducted by Dagur, Viggo, and the dragon hunters. We need backup. Send the Berkian Armada to Outcast Island; Alvin has offered to assist us in the battle, and then, follow this map to Viggo's base."_ He flipped the paper over, revealing a drawn-out map.

"It sounds good, Fishlegs," said Astrid, filling Stormfly's saddlebag with daggers and knives she had been given by some of Alvin's men. "Give it to a Terror and send it off."

Fishlegs nodded and raced away.

"You know, Astrid," said Snotlout, "I bet Hiccup's fine. You really don't have to worry about him. I'd feel more sorry for Viggo."

Astrid froze and spun to face him, glaring harshly. "And why," she seethed, "would you feel more sorry for Viggo than you would Hiccup?"

"Well, for starters," said Tuffnut, "Hiccup can be annoying, even when he's not _trying_ to be. Remember when he lectured us for five minutes about the importance of safety while flying?"

"But that's _important!"_ protested Fishlegs.

"Oh, yeah, that was horrible," said Ruffnut.

"And then," continued Tuffnut, "there are the times when Hiccup is _intentionally_ being obnoxious, just to get on people's nerves."

"And boy does he succeed!" said Ruffnut. "Hiccup's probably already sassed Viggo's entire army to death."

"Well, whether or not Hiccup did that," said Fishlegs, "we have to get him. Astrid, we should get back to the Edge, and get what other supplies we might need. The Outcasts need time to prepare themselves, too."

Astrid nodded. "Alright," she said. "As soon as we get what we need, we'll head to Viggo's base and get Hiccup out of there."

The riders nodded in silent agreement and mounted their dragons, their saddlebags filled to the top with weapons they had been offered. The dragons spread their wings, and launched themselves into the light of the setting sun, flying back towards the Edge with the promise of heading out once again to confront Viggo and save Hiccup.

…

The interrogation gave Ryker more frustration than it gave him answers, and by the time Hiccup was finally left alone, more hours had passed, and he was left by himself, chained to a chair, the Maces and Talons board sitting on the table on the other side of the room.

Hiccup turned his thoughts over in his mind, contemplating them, staring at the Maces and Talons game he and Viggo still had yet to finish. He had survived longer than Viggo had expected; that was a good thing, he assumed. But how was he surviving? Was it because he didn't risk his pieces, who he imagined as his friends? His six remaining hunters represented himself, who he put in danger quite often, and Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut, who Hiccup constantly kept out of danger.

Was this strategy somehow... _working?_

Hiccup looked up again when he heard the door creak open. Hiccup had tried to get some rest when Dagur and Ryker called a halt to the interrogation, but Hiccup hadn't managed to sleep for even an instant. He had too many thoughts flooding through his mind to even _dream_ of sleeping any time soon.

Ryker stepped into the door, his gaze as hard as ever. Hiccup looked at him carefully, and then back at the Maces and Talons board.

"You lost to Viggo," he said slowly. "You and Viggo played Maces and Talons a long time ago, and you were the loser, weren't you?"

Ryker glared, but didn't object. "You're not as stupid as you seem," he said. "Yes, I did lose Maces and Talons to Viggo, and yes, it was a long time ago. Years ago."

Hiccup waited for him to continue, and when he didn't, pressed the question, "Why is Viggo superior over you?"

"Viggo was always the smart one," growled Ryker, and he said it reluctantly, "and I was the strong one. The older one. The one the family looked to to keep the family name. I represented the Grimborns. I was the eldest, after all. The first born. I had to live up to the family expectations.

"But one day, Viggo challenged me to Maces and Talons, and if I won, he would give me half of all the wages he earned, and if he won, I would give him my birthright."

"Your birthright?" Hiccup said blatantly. "But...to give away your birthright, that's...that's…"

"I thought I could beat him," said Ryker. "I was the strong one, the older one, but Viggo was the smart one. You don't know what it's like to have a sibling, and you don't know what it's like to be a part of the Grimborn family. Honor is a great deal, and turning down your little brother's offer at a challenge is considered cowardice. Now that I lost my birthright to my brother, I must carry on the Grimborn tradition. In tradition, the younger would serve the older, but now that Viggo has my birthright...I have to treat him as superior to myself."

Hiccup had already guessed most of this in his mind, but he still found himself at a loss of how to respond. Ryker stomped forward angrily and waved his sword in Hiccup's face to get his attention.

"Viggo wanted me to tell you," he said, "that he will join you for the last half of Maces and Talons shortly."

Ryker turned and left once again, slamming the door behind, as if ashamed of what tale he had just told his prisoner.

Hiccup looked at the door, and then across at the Maces and Talons game.

When Viggo came back to finish the round, Hiccup would be ready.

He had to be.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! :D Long time no see! :D I would have updated sooner than now, but our internet was out for a while, sooo, yeah, wasn't able to do that, but I did manage to write this chapter AND half of chapter 6, so you can DEFINITELY cound on two updates today for this story, and possibly (just maybe) an update for "Stay With Me", 'cause I know everyone who reads that story really wants an update...**

 **Well, anyways, here are your shout-outs! :D Shout-outs:**

 **ShadowSpirit020: Yeah! Kick them all the way to Valhalla, Astrid! :D I'll probably update Ouch! sometime in the near future, hopefully. I'm in the process of writing "The Aftermath of a Battle Part 3", so yeah. :) Maybe! :D**

 **Galaxy-Mitsuko-Pegasus: You shouldn't mess with Astrid on her GOOD days, much less her BAD ones! All those weapons...yeah, she's pretty mad. :D And yeah, Hiccup is HILARIOUS. I really want him to get interrogated in future episodes, and I really, REALLY want to see just how sassy he can really be. Hiccup Haddock: The Viking Who Sassed. XD**

 **LunarCatNinja: Knowing Hiccup, it'll only be a matter of time before he comes up with another of his brilliant schemes. XD**

 **Charr2003: THE SASS, THOUGH! I love Hiccup's character so much, because he's super sweet and adorable and is selfless and kind aND THEN AT THE SAME TIME HE IS A SASSY SNARKER WHO CAN LITERALLY SASS PEOPLE INTO INSANITY and it is beautiful. :D "The sass is strong with this one." XD**

 **Poseidon'sWizardingGuardian: Ohhhh yes. Hiccup will forever be the Viking Who Sassed. XD Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, Chief of Sass, Master of Sarcasm. :D I'm glad you liked the chapter! :D**

 **HappyPup1: Hiccup: Sassy Sassy Sassy Yeeeesss. :D I really love how sassy Hiccup is, it's beautiful. :) I want more of him sassing his enemies in later RttE episodes, and I think I can speak for everyone. :) And please don't kill me. *hides***

 **AquaticDragon: HAhaha, thanks a bunch! :D I loved writing that interrogation scene. I'm glad you all enjoyed reading it! :D**

 **StarFlight13: IT'S MAKE THINGS GO BOOM TIME! :D :D :D :D :D Oops...wrong fandom...XD**

 **Martyn: Awesome dragon! Mockinghorn...yeah, I'll have to use that sometime! :D Not sure when, but sometime! :D Thanks! :D**

 **Midnight510: YEP! TAKE THAT, VIGGO! Hiccup's sass is amazing. :) I really want more sassy comments from him to his enemies in later episodes, because I always imagine him fighting not with a sword, but with his SASS. :D Beat Viggo, Hiccup! It's all yours! :D**

 **midnightsky0612: So much tension, so little time...:)**

 **Guest (#1): Sassy Hiccup is incredible. :D**

 **Carly Marley: LET US FOLLOW HICCUP'S EXAMPLE AND SASS AND SING DAGUR AND VIGGO AND THE DRAGON HUNTERS INTO INSANITY! :D OOOOOOOOHHH, DAGUR IS DERANGED, AND WE FANGIRLS WILL DESTROY HIM, LALALALALALALALA, um, HAHAHAHAHAHA! :D**

 **Iron Rose Writer: Thanks! :D I'm glad to hear a good report! :D**

 **OechsnerC: Oooh yeah, Ryker doesn't like being outsmarted by Viggo, but being outsmarted by Hiccup...that would just put him over the edge as far as his anger goes. :D**

 **Eeveecat1248: YEEESSS. :D**

 **Guest (#2): Thanks! I'm glad you liked Ruff and Tuff's lines! :D (And no worries. :D)**

 **Jo: Hiccup is genius in planning, outsmarting, and sassing. He's incredible! :D :D :D**

 **GENERAL SHOUT-OUT TO ALL THE READERS OUT THERE WHO READ, FAV, OR FOLLOW WITHOUT REVIEWING: I know you're out there! :D :D :D And yes, this isn't creepy at all, but I want to tell you all THHHHAAANNNNKKK YYYYOOOOOUUUUU for reading! :D I see the little "page views" button on my profile go up *hehehe* and it just reminds me that even if not everyone reviews, THEY STILL READ IT. THANK YOU, EVERYONE! THANKS IF YOU REVIEW! THANKS IF YOU FOLLOW! THANKS IF YOU FAVORITE! THANKS IF YOU READ! THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY FANFICTIONS WORTH WRITING! :D And without further adieu, CHAPTER 5! :D BYE! :D**

 _ **P.S. IF YOU THINK HICCUP IS A MASTER OF SASS, COPY AND PASTE THIS ONTO YOUR PROFILE AND ADD YOUR NAME! -BeyondTheClouds777 (LOL, I've always wanted to do that :P)**_

* * *

"Keep your eyes on the skies," said Viggo calmly to his men on the decks of the ship, striding between them. "I expect the dragon riders to be arriving soon and in full strength, so we must be prepared. Load the catapults, and make sure your crossbows are loaded with the dragon nip arrows. We wouldn't want to kill valuable dragon."

"We're coming up on the base now, Viggo," said one of Viggo's soldiers, saluting. "Should we land?"

"No," said Viggo. "Let the dragon riders find us here. I believe we are better defended in the water than we are on the land. Are the Scauldrons ready for release?"

"Ready," answered the soldier.

"Good," said Viggo. "Send word to the men on my signal. They are to release the Scauldron into the open ocean as soon as I give the word."

"Yes, Viggo," said the soldier, and he scampered off to do as his commander had demanded. Ryker stepped up from below the decks and approached Viggo, sword drawn, his scowl angrier than ever.

"Did you give word to our guest?" said Viggo calmly.

Ryker spat. "That boy's more trouble than he's worth," he growled. "I still don't know why we don't throw him overboard and feed him to the Scauldrons."

"Because that boy is more useful to us than you can ever imagine," said Viggo. "He is a worthy adversary, and he is our bargaining chip. He is the one who is drawing the riders in. It's because of him they will be arriving at all."

Ryker looked down at the deck of the ship and growled lowly. "Whatever you say, brother," he snarled.

Viggo rubbed his hands together briefly as if to warm then, and then turned to his brother once again. "Make sure the men are prepared," he said. "I must go finish what I began with our guest of honor."

…

Hiccup thrashed against the chains and pulled them, trying to snap them desperately, but to no avail. He had managed to loop the chains that had bound him to the chair over his head, but the remaining chains remained in place, one end bolted to the floor with the other end shackled to his wrists.

He threw himself backwards and pulled desperately, trying to free the chains - he had to escape, and this was a good a chance as any. Besides, what was the worst that could happen? The worst possible thing was getting caught, and even then, all Viggo and his men would do was tie him up again; he really didn't have anything to worry about.

There was a sudden _SNAP,_ and the peg bolting the chain into the floor finally came undone. Hiccup almost laughed in relief; one chain down, two to go, but he had to hurry. He didn't know how soon Viggo would be coming back, how much longer he had to escape before he was found out.

He pulled against the chains harder, and finally, there was a second _SNAP_ , and the next peg, the one connected to his other wrist, unattached. One last one, the one shackled to his ankle, and he would be free...but he didn't have time to do anything else. He heard footsteps stepping down the stairs, towards the door leading to the room Hiccup was in.

He hid his progress instantly, practically leaping back into the wooden chair, hiding the broken chains underneath his feet, hoping Viggo didn't notice they were no longer attached to the floor upon his return.

Viggo stepped through the door and smiled pleasantly. "Ah," he said, putting his hands together. "And we meet again, Hiccup Haddock."

Hiccup forced himself to hold his glare; if he stopped glaring, if he gave any indication that two of his three chains were no longer restraining him, Viggo would know instantly something was off. He forced himself not to look at the ground; Viggo would be onto him like a vulture onto a dead carcass.

Viggo sat down on the chair across from Hiccup and looked over the Maces and Talons board on the table between them. "Now, whose turn was it?" he said coolly, folding his hands. "I believe it was mine, but because I am a good sport, I will let you have it. Go on. Take your time."

Hiccup looked at his pieces on the board, contemplated his move, and positioned one of his hunters as far away from Viggo's hunters as possible, positioning the hunter beside his Viking Chief.

"Strange move," said Viggo, brows furrowing. "Why on earth would you do that?"

"He provides more protection to the Chief this way," said Hiccup, "and keeps himself out of danger in the process."

"Fair enough," said Viggo, "but, let me see...how many hunters are there in Maces and Talons, Hiccup?"

"Eight total," said Hiccup. "Each of us are down to six."

"Yes, yes," said Viggo, nodding. "Six...that is the same number in your dragon riding team, is it not? You, and five others?"

Hiccup didn't answer.

"I see," said Viggo. "You are comparing your pieces to your friends. Understandable, but oh so...weak. A good leader must be prepared to give up _any_ of his men, if it is for the greater good."

"Yeah, sure," said Hiccup, "but _great_ leaders are the ones who aren't concerned in saving themselves, who don't care what happens as long as all his followers stay safe in the end."

"You are foolish, Hiccup," said Viggo.

"Oh, really?" said Hiccup. "Let's finish the game, and then we'll see who's the fool. Your move, Viggo."

…

"We're coming up on the base!" said Fishlegs, calling across to Astrid. "In a few minutes, we'll be there!"

"Alright!" shouted Astrid across the night sky so that all the other riders could hear her. "You know the drill! Stoick and the Outcasts should be here any minute, so if we all arrive at the same time, we can throw Viggo's men off-guard entirely! They're expecting us to come, but they won't be expecting the Berkian _and_ the Outcasts fleets, too!"

"Any minute now, and we'll be there!" said Fishlegs. "Watch out for the arrows!"

"I _love_ arrows!" cheered Tuffnut.

…

After Viggo's move, Hiccup shot back with another one of his own, all of which were so confusing, it was rather ridiculous. Viggo couldn't understand what Hiccup was doing; for once in his life, he didn't know what Hiccup was planning, but he didn't let it show. He forced himself to remain stoic, lest Hiccup learn of his inability to assess Hiccup's strategy, and the game continued.

"Alright," said Hiccup after moving one of his hunters forward. "Your move."

Viggo moved a hunter forward; Hiccup took his move, and they played back and forth, back and forth. Viggo knew it was coming. Victory was at hand for him. He would triumph over Hiccup, and Hiccup would have been defeated by him - twice in a row. He was already silently gloating over his victory, and he didn't notice the small circle of hunters slowly gathering around his own Chief - he didn't notice anything until Hiccup slammed down his hunter, sat back, and said, "Checkmate."

Viggo whipped his head back in Hiccup's direction and stared incredulously at the board. Sure enough, Hiccup was right - all six of Hiccup's hunters were positioned around Viggo's Chief, maces drawn and at the ready.

"This...this isn't possible…" said Viggo.

"Yes it is," said Hiccup. "I beat you."

Hiccup was having a hard time believing it himself. He had beat Viggo. He had defeated the man he had failed to defeat before. It didn't seem possible, and yet the evidence was right in front of him, right in front of _both_ of them, in the form of a Chief without escape and six small, seemingly insignificant hunters.

"Don't be a poor sport, Viggo," said Hiccup. "You lost. You can't win every battle."

Viggo didn't have a chance to answer; from above, on the upper deck of the ship, one of his men shouted, "Viggo! Dragon riders approaching from the East!"

Viggo stood and stepped towards the door, with the intention of leaving Hiccup alone, possibly to die should the sink be sunk.

But Hiccup wasn't going to let it go that easy.

The instant Viggo disappeared out the door, Hiccup leapt from his chair and yanked on the last restraining chain. He stomped on the peg holding it in place, yanked again, and finally, with a crack like a whip, he was free. There was still the problem of the shackles around his wrists and ankle, but at least he was free.

He looked around the room wildly - he had been sure he'd seen a set of keys around here at some point, and it would make sense why Ryker and Dagur and Viggo would leave the keys lying around. It was all another distraction, the keys; the keys were supposed to keep his mind off Maces and Talons and instead set himself on escaping.

Now that Maces and Talons was over with, Hiccup had to focus on finding the keys and leaving as soon as possible.

He found the keys hanging on a hook, and as soon as he saw them, he raced towards them, grabbed them, and undid the shackles. The last of his chains fell to the ground with _clanks_ and _clicks_ , and as soon as Hiccup was free, he made a break for the door.

The below decks of the hunting ship were full of cages and weapon racks. Hiccup looked around, trying desperately to figure out which way was the way out, and finally, he saw it; a staircase, leading upwards, towards the main decks of the ship.

But before he could take another step, a voice from behind halted his movements.

"Hello, brother."

Hiccup spun around. Dagur was standing a little ways down the hallway lined with dragon traps, smirking darkly. In one hand he held a sword; in the other hand, an axe.

"So, I see you're escaping," said Dagur, looking thoughtful. "But honestly, you couldn't expect it was going to be _easy_ , right? Escaping a Berserker is _never_ easy. I thought you would have learned that by now."

Dagur sighed heavily. "Of course," he said, "Hooligans like yourself don't learn their lessons easily."

He pulled back his arm and threw his axe, directly at Hiccup, and Hiccup dodged into the only place he could: into the nearest empty dragon cage. He thought about locking himself in to keep Dagur away; after all, he still had the keys and could easily get out himself, but before he could move, Dagur had run across the deck, retrieved his axe, and charged for the cage.

Hiccup sprang backwards. Dagur sped right into the cage, and when Hiccup thought for sure he was doomed, Dagur grabbed the door, and pulled it shut, locking himself and Hiccup inside.

"This is the way it was meant to be, Hiccup," said Dagur, and he tossed the sword to Hiccup. Hiccup reached out and caught it; it was surprisingly light, especially for a dragon hunter weapon. "In the end, it all comes down to me, and you."

He grinned maniacally.

"Now, brother," he said, raising his axe, "fight me, if you dare."

Hiccup looked down at the sword, at the locked door of the cage, and then finally back at Dagur.

He didn't have another choice.

So, he raised his sword, and lunged.


	6. Chapter 6

**Well guys, here we are again. :) Back on the ol' stomping grounds, aye? You all want to see what Hiccup does to defeat Dagur and maybe have a few shout-outs along the way? Well, here are your shout-outs, and then, feel free to read on, incredible people! :D Shout-outs:**

 **ShadowSpirit020: Sick!Hiccup! :D Why am I smiling? :D**

 **HappyPup1: YES, CHECKMATE IS A BOOK REFERENCE! YOU GOT IT! :D :D :D WHOOP WHOOP! :D :D :D**

 **Shizuku Tsukishima749: Thanks! :D**

 **Eeveecat1248: Yeah, well, Dagur's blocking the doors, so technically, Hiccup can't get out. Hiccup would already be long-gone if he had the chance to escape. :D**

 **LunarCatNinja: And now you can figure out how Hiccup does in the fight! :D**

 **midnightsky0612: Yes...go Hiccup! :D**

 **StarFlight13: What if...I am an alien from outerspace? What if...I'm a Time Lord? *gasp* HAHA, I wish. XD "Sir, we are detecting high levels of sass!" Shifting between fandoms, one at a time...or more...XD**

 **SnivyDragon: NO ONE can stop HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK THE THIRD! Ain't NO ONE! :D Thanks! :D I'm glad you like the story! :D**

 **Charr2003: Oooh, Mark of Athena...that hurt. That hurt a lot. AND HAVING TO WAIT A YEAR FOR THE NEXT BOOK, THAT WAS MURDER! D: I'm glad you still like the story! :D**

 **Galaxy-Mitsuko-Pegasus: GO HICCUP! :D Yes, Hiccup is AMAZING. :D**

 **hiccupandtoothless294: Hiccup: Supreme Lord of All Sass. :D**

 **Iron Rose Writer: GO HICCUP! :D**

 **RainDragon28: Yaaaah, ended the chapter really bad there, I guess. :P Sorry about that! :D I'm glad you enjoy the story! :D**

 **Carly Marley: SING SING SING, ALL FELLOW DRAGONITES AND FANGIRLS ALIKE! COME NOW, DON'T BE SHY! *grabs mic* *throws Random Dragonite drumsticks* LET'S BURN THIS CANDLE! HASSSSSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D**

* * *

"WATCH OUT!" Astrid shouted, and she, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins swerved on their dragons to avoid the shower of arrows that assailed the air before them.

"Oh, _that's_ attractive!" Snotlout shouted down at the shooters of the arrows angrily. "It's no wonder you don't get any visitors, your social skills _suck!"_

"This is no time for that, Snotlout!" snapped Astrid angrily. "We have to get down there, and avoid the arrows at all cost! They're impregnated with dragon root, and if they hit your dragons, they'll go ballistic!"

"No hitting the arrows, got it!" said Snotlout.

"Or, we can get _close_ to them," said Tuffnut, "and use Ruffnut as a human shield! OW! My shoulder!" He rubbed his shoulder, where Ruffnut had reached over and punched him.

"Stay _away_ from the arrows!" said Astrid. "Get close enough to take out the crossbows, but not close enough to get hit! Fly in zigzags, you'll be less likely to get hit!"

The dragons zoomed downwards towards the ocean like birds of prey, towards the small fleet of dragon hunter ships. Fishlegs looked over to the side and gasped instantly.

"Astrid, look!" he shouted.

Astrid turned to see what Fishlegs meant, and she saw an entire armada of ships sailing towards them - all with the Berkian crest painted on the sails.

"Stoick's ships!" called Astrid to the others. "Come on, let's distract the dragon hunters and give Stoick a clear shot!"

They flew tauntingly close to the archer's range, but no matter how hard the archers tried, they simply couldn't shoot the dragons with their arrows. Astrid looked down, trying to decide which ship they would use for hostages…

"Hold your fire!" she shouted to the others.

Instantly, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Snotlout commanded their dragons to fire. The archers ducked for cover as dragon fire lit half of the deck of their ship.

"NO!" Astrid shouted. "I SAID HOLD YOUR FIRE! HICCUP'S DOWN THERE!"

"No, FIRE!" shouted Snotlout. "Remember what we did before? Fire at the water! Everyone, fire at the water!"

It took Astrid a moment, but then, she realized that Snotlout was right. "He's right!" she confirmed when Fishlegs looked uncertain. "Fire at the water! The steam should block the Berkian ships from view until it's too late!"

"Got it!" said Fishlegs, and Meatlug and the other dragons instantly aimed all their fire at the water surrounding Viggo's ships. Water evaporated, and the steam that billowed up from it was as thick as smoke. Within moments, all of the dragon hunter ships were hidden by this thick curtain of fog.

Viggo's men looked around uncertainly, and then at each other.

Then, from the side, ships appeared from the fog, approaching closely and quickly, the decks of the ships loaded with soldiers and catapults. The two armies collided, and war broke loose.

"YES!" shouted Astrid, raising her hands in the air.

"WHOOHOO!" the other riders cheered; Ruffnut and Tuffnut high-fived.

"I bet Viggo wasn't expecting _that!"_ called Snotlout.

Snotlout was right. Viggo hadn't been expecting an armada assault as well as an aerial assault, but no matter; it just meant that he and his men would have to try extra hard if they planned to defeat the Berkians.

Viggo raised his hand to his men; the signal to release the Scauldrons they had caged at the bay. Instantly, his soldiers raced off to do as he had ordered, and the Scauldrons were freed into the water, right in front of the Berkian vessels.

"Wait a minute...Scauldrons!?" shouted Snotlout. "Aw, _come on!_ That's _cheating!_ Viggo _cheated!"_

"It doesn't matter!" snapped Astrid. "The plan doesn't change! Aim for the water! Give the Berkians as much cover as possible, and when the hunters least expect it, strike! Take out their crossbows, their catapults, _everything!_ But don't hit the ships themselves! We don't know where Hiccup is!"

The riders obeyed instantly, zeroing down on the ships once again. Astrid held back, looking at each ship one by one.

"Come on, Hiccup…" she whispered to no one in particular. "Where _are_ you…"

…

Hiccup and Dagur's weapons clashed against each other, axe against sword. Dagur made a move to strike, going for Hiccup's legs: Hiccup swung his sword down to defend himself, and the next strike went for Dagur's shoulder, and Dagur blocked the strike with a breezy parry.

"You're out of practice, brother!" said Dagur. "I'm disappointed!" He swung upwards, and Hiccup met his blade with a quick swipe of his sword. Dagur, however, was not impressed.

"You have fast reflexes," he said, "but unfortunately, those alone aren't enough to save you in the end! You have to have skill, wits, _courage-"_

"Exactly!" said Hiccup. "So the question is, how have _you_ managed to fight for this long?"

Dagur roared in fury, and Hiccup raised his weapon to defend himself against each and every one of Dagur's threatening, would-be killing blows with flying colors. But there really wasn't much Hiccup could do; he was locked in a cage with Dagur blocking the door, so having the keys wasn't that great of an advantage. Dagur had the axe, and he had the sword, and the axe was _huge_.

"What do you want, Dagur!?" Hiccup demanded; Dagur brought his axe down, and Hiccup ducked swiftly out of the way.

"I want _you_ ," said Dagur, "to fight me!"

"But I don't _need_ to fight you!" said Hiccup, defending himself against another one of Dagur's blows. "You can end this right now, and you know it! But why don't you?"

Dagur kicked Hiccup's feet out from under him, and Hiccup rolled out of the way when Dagur brought his axe down. The blade embedded in the wood and stuck tight, the blade nearly swallowed up into the deck of the ship.

Hiccup positioned his sword at Dagur's back and fumbled for the keys. Dagur tried to yank the axe out of the wood, and he managed to do this just as Hiccup managed to unlock and open the door. At the last minute, Dagur turned and downright tackled Hiccup to the ground. Hiccup struggled, but he couldn't get away. Dagur positioned his hands at Hiccup's throat and held.

"Dagur, _stop_ ," Hiccup choked; he couldn't really talk when he was being suffocated, and in one last ditch-effort to save himself, he said, "Viggo...he's...using...you…"

Dagur's grip loosened, only slightly. "What do you mean, 'using me'?" he demanded.

"Viggo doesn't need you," Hiccup gasped. "He thinks people are expendable. In his mind...you're all his game pieces. You have no value to him whatsoever."

"You lie, brother," said Dagur, but he sounded uncertain. "You _lie_."

"But...you can't tell me you haven't seen it," said Hiccup. It was pathetic now, really, his final attempts at life. "You can't tell me I'm wrong...you know I'm right...he's just using you and your Berserkers for the advantage in numbers...when he gets what he wants...he'll get rid of you."

Dagur looked at him strangely.

Then, he stood up, releasing the grip on Hiccup's throat, and Hiccup gasped for breath, unable to believe that his plan actually _worked_. Dagur swung his axe over his shoulder and paced, thinking.

"Viggo wants you here, right?" said Dagur as he paced.

"Right," Hiccup said faintly, rubbing his bruised throat.

"He doesn't want you to escape, does he?" said Dagur. "Which means...if you _do_ escape, it'll be bad for him." He looked down and studied Hiccup carefully. Then, he swung his axe out, leaving the blade inches away from Hiccup's throat. "Get out," he said instantly. "Get out, move, _run_ , get out of here!"

Hiccup didn't wait for the deranged madman to change his mind. He turned and bolted out the door, clutching the sword Dagur had given him.

He ran up the stairs and waited. His friends were out there, doing Thor-knew-what, and the ship was rocking ominously. He had to figure out what was going on...Viggo's men were probably occupied with the riders...they wouldn't notice if he opened the hatch…

He waited a split second, and then, he flipped open the hatch, and pulled himself out.

The fog was so thick, it was impossible to see anything. The men on the ship were pointing crossbows at nothing in particular, obviously unable to see anything. Hiccup heard the shouts of a nearby battle, but he couldn't tell which direction it was coming from, or even who was fighting the battle.

All he knew was that the men were distracted, and there was no better time to take out soldiers than when they were caught off guard or focused on something else.

Hiccup carefully set his sword down on the deck and crept silently towards a dragon hunter holding a mace. When the hunter was focused on the sky, Hiccup took the mace right from his hand and bashed him upside the head. The hunter was unconscious before he even realized his weapon had been taken.

When the soldier hit the ground, Hiccup dove behind the mast of the ship as the other hunters spun to find the source of the noise. Hiccup waited in silence for the next opportunity to strike when the hunters least expected it…

Suddenly, Dagur jumped up from below decks, waving his axe over his head. "THE PRISONER!" he shouted. "THE PRISONER HAS ESCAPED!"

"Oh, Thor…" Hiccup groaned, holding the mace tighter.

…

"THE PRISONER HAS ESCAPED!" came a shout from below, and it sounded like the shout came from Dagur. Astrid instantly looked down at the ship from where the shout came and pointed at it.

"There!" she said. "Hiccup's on that ship!"

"GREAT!" said Snotlout. "Now if we can just dodge these homicidal Scauldrons, we can get to him! AAAHHHH!" A Scauldron bounded out of the water and spat boiling water at Snotlout. Hookfang swerved not a moment too late.

"You guys, distract the Scauldrons!" demanded Astrid. "I'm going to get Hiccup!"

On Astrid's command, Stormfly zoomed downwards, towards the ship from whence the shout had come. She saw Hiccup, pressing himself against the thick mast of the ship, holding a mace as if for dear life.

"There he is, girl!" said Astrid. "Go down, but go slow, we don't want the hunters to see us."

Stormfly squawked in agreement and shot towards the ocean silently, right towards Hiccup. Hiccup lifted his head and saw them approaching while the rest of the hunters remained unaware. Hiccup released the mace, and when Stormfly passed him, he grabbed Astrid's hand, and Astrid hauled him onto Stormfly behind her.

"Fire, Stormfly, at the ship!" Astrid hissed as loudly as she dared, and Stormfly breathed fire at the decks when the hunters were least expecting it. Then, before the hunters could return fire, Stormfly shot upwards once again, out of the fog and into the clear sky.

"What took you so long?" said Hiccup.

"Why?" Astrid asked, turning her head to look at him, grinning. "Did you miss me?"

They swerved as another round of arrows fired up at them. Hiccup looked down at the ships, each in turn - the hunter ships, and then…

"Are those... _Berkian_ ships?" he questioned loudly, and Astrid followed his gaze.

"Yeah, they are," said Astrid.

"You brought my Dad into this!?"

"You were _kidnapped!_ He would've wanted to know! And...we didn't just bring him into it..."

Hiccup looked back down at the ships and gasped. "Is that _Alvin!?"_

"The Outcasts wanted to help, and we needed everyone we could get!"

If Hiccup had a retort, he didn't have time to say it. From below shot three Scauldrons, pursued hotly by Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs on their dragons.

"Hiccup!" called Fishlegs happily, waving a hand. "Thank Thor you're alright!"

" _I_ am," said Hiccup, "but what are you _doing?"_

"Scauldrons!" shouted Snotlout. "Viggo had Scauldrons waiting for us - AAAGH!" He dodged. A lake worth of boiling water shot past him and Hookfang. The Scauldrons turned and darted back towards the ocean, where the ships were lurking.

"Oh no!" cried Fishlegs frantically. "If the Scauldrons get the Berkian ships, we're done for!"

"I see that!" said Astrid. "Hiccup, what should we-"

"Excuse me for a moment," said Hiccup, and without another word, he swung his leg over and leapt off Stormfly's back, hands together in a dive.

"Hiccup!" shouted Astrid down at him, but he didn't answer. He hit the water and disappeared beneath the waves, where the Scauldrons had vanished likewise only moments before.

"What in the name of THOR is he doing!?" shouted Snotlout. "Is he CRAZY!?"

"I hope so!" said Ruffnut.

"No," said Astrid. She groaned in fury and glared down at the water. "He's going to try and train the Scauldrons."


	7. Chapter 7

**So, how are you all doing today? I hope you're good. I'm doin' pretty well. I've got a piano lesson today *fist bump* so I might not be updating again today, unfortunately, and if I do, it'll be later on tonight, or somethin'...so...yeah. I think, actually, this is the second to last chapter, which means we're almost done, which means we can start thinking about whether or not we should have a sequel...**

 **Do you guys want a sequel? :) Let me know! :D Shout-outs:**

 **Galaxy-Mitsuko-Pegasus: Yep. Trainers gonna train, train, train, train, train. Hunters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake. Shake it off, shake it off! :D XD And yeah. Hiccup's taunt...XD**

 **ShadowSpirit020: Okay! I think I just might! :D**

 **LunarCatNinja: Oh yeah. I was a bit disappointed when Hiccup wasn't able to train Scauldy, in honesty, because of how amazing a dragon trainer he is, but oh well. I still have hopes for him to train a Changewing. :D**

 **Dimentional Phaser: Dagur is so mentally insane it's hard to tell what in the WORLD he's trying to do. :P**

 **Charr2003: "You're mad!" "Good thing, too, or this would probably never work!" XD (*cue Pirates of the Carabien music intro*) OOOOOOH YEAH, I picked up the House of Hades, and I could not put it down. XD**

 **SnivyDragon: I think Dagur is actually really sentimental. And yeah...there has to be SOME kind of human conscience under all that deranged-ness, right? :)**

 **Shizuku Tsukishima749: YEEESSSSS! :D Thanks! :D**

 **HappyPup1: Yeah, Hiccup's plans are so crazy they just might always work. XD That basically describes him, wouldn't you say? A sassy little genius who is so insane that all his plans work. :D**

 **AquaticDragon: Aww, thank you! :D I love updating for you guys! :D**

 **Martyn: We'll have to see what his plan is! :D**

 **Midnight510: Yep. Definitely insane. :D**

 **Carly Marley: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *tells Dagur he has to go home and rethink his life* LOL! :D *waves hand* You will stop fighting. *Dagur drops his weapon* Dagur: I will stop fighting. Me: *waves hand* You will go home and rethink everything. Dagur: I will go home and rethink everything...**

 **wingedflower: Thanks! :D And yeah, I thought about having them get the Dragon Eye, but they haven't reached the shore yet, and Viggo has the rest of his men on his island. Besides, the riders would have no idea where the Dragon Eye even is, and the only reason they're here right now is to rescue Hiccup. But in the sequel (because I think there will be a sequel), I might have them go in for the Dragon Eye. :D**

 **TheInkSplotches: Hiccup! What are you...oh, nevermind...XD**

* * *

Stoick and his men, hidden by the fog, lowered a plank leading from their biggest warship onto the largest ship of Viggo's. When no one was expecting it, they attacked. Admittedly, Stoick was furious, and he took this fury out on every dragon hunter and Berserker who dared stand in his way. He couldn't _believe_ someone would have the nerve to take Hiccup...it was one thing for Alvin or Dagur to take Hiccup, Stoick understood that, since neither Alvin nor Dagur had ever been exactly right in the head, but _dragon trappers_ …

Alvin led his Outcasts onto the ships, attacking with everything they had, fighting the trappers, taking out the catapults, so that the riders in the air could get close and blast holes in the bottoms of the ships, sinking them, leaving the men to either swim to shore or swim to another one of their ships.

Stoick bashed his axe against the head of a dragon hunter and snarled, "That's for taking my son," before the hunter hit the deck of the ship, unconscious. Stoick turned and, with his men and the Outcasts, fought off any hunters who stood in their way.

...

The water was cold, freezing, but Hiccup forced himself to remain focused; now was not the time to become side-tracked by the chill of the ocean's waves around him. The salt stung his eyes, but he forced his lids to remain open. He looked at the dark water around him, holding his breath, ready to resurface if he had to.

The first Scauldron came up to him seemingly out of nowhere, its cheeks puffed, ready to spurt boiling water at Hiccup's face, but Hiccup put his hands out, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible. His lungs were screaming. The water was so cold. The dragon's eyes widened, its pupils dilated, and it slowly moved its head forward, towards Hiccup's outstretched hands…

It pressed its muzzle into Hiccup's palms, albeit carefully. Hiccup was seeing black now on the edges of his vision, but he forced himself not to resurface. He pointed upwards, towards the bottoms of the dragon hunter ships, expecting the Scauldron and the Scauldron's friends to attack the ships that had captured them in the first place, but they didn't move.

It was then Hiccup realized the problem.

Chains were shackled around the dragon's necks, heavy and huge, giant versions of the ones that had been once shackled to Hiccup's wrists. Hiccup pulled the prison key out of his belt, looked at the lock, and, forcing his lack of oxygen to the back of his mind, swam forward.

The Scauldron wasn't entirely trusting yet, but the moment Hiccup slipped the key into the lock and turned it, the shackles fell free, and the Scauldron looked at Hiccup in a whole new light. Hiccup jerked his head encouragingly towards the surface of the water, where he and the Scauldron needed to go. The Scauldron growled and sped off towards the surface, no doubt to attack the dragon hunter ships and free his Scauldron brethren.

Hiccup kicked his legs - metal and flesh - in a desperate attempt to resurface, because he felt like he would black out now, but before he got far, he was yanked back downwards by an unseeable force.

When he looked down, he saw that the Scauldron's heavy chain had somehow wound itself around his ankle and stuck tight. Hiccup, panicking now, because he was out of air, tried to shake the chains off, but his vision was dark now, he couldn't see, and his lungs were empty, and the only thing there was to inhale was water, and the water wasn't breathable...he was pulled down into the dark tunnel of unconsciousness, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it...

…

"I can't see him!" said Snotlout, craning his neck in an attempt to look into the ocean. "He hasn't resurfaced!"

"If he doesn't resurface," said Tuffnut, raising a hand, "can we keep Toothless?"

"Not now!" said Astrid, still searching the surface of the water desperately for any sign of Hiccup. "I'm going down for him!"

But she didn't have time to do anything before the Scauldron rose out of the water. The Scauldron shot from the ocean waves, trailed by seven more Scauldron, each of different colors. When Astrid feared the Scauldrons were racing to attack the Berkian ships, the sea dragons spun and attacked the hunters.

"YES!" shouted Astrid in triumph.

"Hiccup, Hiccup, oy, oy, oy!" cheered Snotlout, and then, as if realizing what he had just said, muttered hastily, "But don't tell him I said that…"

"Hey," said Tuffnut, "where is Hiccup, anyways?"

Astrid realized it the moment before Tuffnut spoke. Hiccup hadn't resurfaced with the Scauldrons. That was weird...Astrid had been sure he'd be right behind them…

Unless…

Unless he _couldn't_ resurface, for some reason…

Astrid directed Stormfly downwards without a word to the other riders, and her dragon soared, her wings pounding, as if she knew the danger of the situation, as if she knew, as Astrid would soon find out, that Hiccup was beneath the ocean, drowning, unconscious, dying…

Stormfly hovered over the surface of the water, and Astrid leapt off her back and dove beneath the waves, right where the Scauldrons had appeared and Hiccup had vanished.

She found who she was looking for instantly, and he was being dragged down into the black of the ocean by something coiled around his ankle...chains, Astrid realized. Giant chains that looked like they could hold down a dragon with ease. Astrid drew her axe from her back and swam downwards, towards Hiccup, ready to slice the chains dragging him to his watery grave.

She raised her axe and swished it through the water, which seemed suddenly thick. The blade sliced through only part of the chain link Astrid had been aiming for, but it did the trick. With that one link damaged, Astrid was able to pull away the rest of the chains.

Her lungs were almost _begging_ her to resurface, but she didn't. If she resurfaced now, Hiccup wouldn't have a chance.

She yanked the chains off, sheathed her axe, wrapped her arm around Hiccup's waist, and kicked towards the surface.

Stormfly flew just barely into the water, enough for Astrid to pull herself and Hiccup onto the dragon's back without a problem, and Stormfly shot, once again, into the air.

Astrid loosened her hold on Hiccup's waist and grabbed him by his shoulders instead, shaking him. "Hiccup!" she shouted desperately, hoping against hope for a response. "HICCUP!"

Hiccup opened his eyes and looked up at her tiredly. "I trained the Scauldron," he said simply, and then, he was unconscious again.

But that was okay, because at least Astrid knew he was alive, that he hadn't left her. She hugged him tight and refused to let go for a long time.

The showers of arrows finally made her turn and direct Stormfly to the Berkian ships. The other riders were holding off the hunters, and the Scauldrons were attacking the ships. The Berkians and Outcasts onboard the Berkian vessels had moved to the dragon hunter vessels and were attacking, taking out all their weapons, and their ships in the process. Viggo's men were fleeing; Astrid would have given nearly anything to see the look on Viggo's face as he watched his "brilliant plan" crumble before his very eyes, helpless to prevent the failure pressing in on all sides.

They had beaten him.

Somehow, the riders, the Berkians, and the Outcasts had beaten Viggo, intelligence, brilliance and all. Viggo was defeated; Dagur was defeated. Astrid thought about going in for the Dragon Eye, looking on Viggo's base for it, but she didn't want to press her luck or put anyone in danger. Viggo had entire fleets of men...it would be too much to try and take them out.

Besides, there wasn't much Astrid would be able to do, anyways, what with Hiccup unconscious in her arms.

She landed Stormfly on the Berkian ship farthest away from the battle; there were still Berkians and Outcasts alike boarded, but these were the backup men, the men who wouldn't fight unless absolutely necessary.

Mulch and Bucket were among these men, and as soon as Astrid landed, they both rushed forward.

"Get him below the decks," Astrid ordered as Bucket took Hiccup from her as if he weighed nothing. "Keep him warm. Where's Toothless?"

"Stoick's ship," said Mulch. "But lass, is Hiccup-"

"He's okay," said Astrid. "Or, he'll be okay in a little while, anyways. Spent a little too much time underwater. Do what I told you...I'll be back as soon as I can. Whatever happens, do _not_ let any dragon hunters get near this ship. It's Hiccup they're after."

She mounted Stormfly and took off once again into the sky, trusting that Mulch and Bucket would ensure Hiccup's safety.

Stormfly took off, towards Stoick's ship, looking for any sign of Toothless. When the Berkians arrived at the Edge, Toothless had gone with them by boat, as he didn't have a rider to control his tailfin, and they were in too much a rush to connect his auto tailfin.

They found Toothless fighting alongside Stoick, bashing dragon hunters back with his tail, roaring at any who got too close. Astrid didn't blame the dragon for his fury. She was furious with the hunters who had taken Hiccup away from them, too.

"Toothless!" she shouted from above, and Toothless, after knocking out one final dragon hunter, looked up at her in question, almost threateningly, as if asking, _Who dares disturb my revenge?_

"Hiccup!" Astrid said when she had gotten close enough, out of the earshot of other hunters. "The last ship, all the way at the back, Hiccup's there."

She barely had enough time to get all the words out before Toothless barreled past her, leaping from ship to ship, all the way to the very end. Astrid watched him leave, part of her wishing she could follow, and turned to join the rest of the riders in the sky.

They already had a plan figured out. Astrid and the riders looked for Hiccup while Stoick and the fleet distracted the hunters. When they found Hiccup, they were to send a single blast of fire up into the air, the fire of all their dragons combined, as a signal of their retreat.

"We're retreating!" Astrid called to Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins. "We've got Hiccup, let's send up the signal!"

Not even Snotlout protested; the dragons sucked in deep breaths and fired everything they had, creating one giant blast of fire.

The Berkians and Outcasts, who were in on the "signal" plan, looked up. "There's the signal!" called Stoick to the Berkians. "They have Hiccup! Move out!"

Alvin directed the Outcasts, and the two armies leapt back onto their ships and pulled away, away from the battle, away from Viggo's sinking ships, away from Viggo, clinging to the mast of a sinking ship, wondering how on earth he lost, how he didn't win, how Hiccup and his friends outsmarted him. The Scauldrons shrieked their thanks to their unconscious trainer and dove into the deepest parts of the ocean, freed from the hunters who had previously held them captive.

"Where to?" said Snotlout over the sky to Astrid. "Home?"

"Home," Astrid agreed. "Stay here. I'm going to go check on Hiccup."

And she turned and soared down on Stormfly without another word.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey! :D :D :D** **SO GUYS THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER. OFFICIALLY THE LAST CHAPTER. And so, my ending authors note is, as usual, at the end of the chapter *points* so let me know what you guys think of the closing chapter, and SEQUEL. WE'LL TALK ABOUT A SEQUEL AND WHETHER OR NOT WE'LL HAVE ONE AT ALL AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER! :D Shout-outs:**

 **ShadowSpirit020: Alrighteeeee then! I will take that into account, dear reader! :D**

 **Galaxy-Mitsuko-Pegasus: I love it how Hiccup saves the day all the time and he does it without hardly even caring that he does. And same with Astrid. I really love all the dragon riders. :)**

 **Midnight510: I thought about that during the editing of the chapter! It was just, "Stoick's ships!" and I was like...aw, man, I gave myself feels. FEEEELLLLSSS. :)**

 **Mylittlefangirlw: Hahahahahahahahahahaha! :D Yeah, a lot of people 'round here want a sequel. I think I just might make one. :D**

 **Charr2003: YEEESSSSS it was based off the scene in "Night of the Hunters Part 1". I realized that we always see Hiccup saving Astrid, but really nothing on Astrid saving Hiccup, so I just wanted to throw that in there. :D THE HICCSTIRD IS REAL! :D**

 **midnightsky0612: Thanks! :D**

 **StarFlight13: Haha! I wish I was a Time Lord. That would be amazing. :D And yeah, don't worry about reviewing every chapter. No problemo at all. XD And tips on updating faster...hmm...well, one thing I used to do, is before posting one chapter, just go ahead and write half of the next chapter, so you're always one step ahead of yourself. :)**

 **Dimentional Phaser: I think I just might! :D**

 **Eeveecat1248: SCAULDRONS! YES! :D**

 **HappyPup1: YESSS, Hiccup lives, and so do I! :D**

 **Animals Rule: Aw, thanks! :D**

 **Martyn: It's not the end yet! :D And no, they didn't get the Dragon Eye back. Not yet, anyways. :)**

 **LunarCatNinja: I think Viggo was caught off guard in a lot of ways in that last chapter. First of all, he didn't expect Stoick's ships, and then, he didn't expect the Outcasts to attack as well, he didn't expect Hiccup to escape, he didn't expect Dagur to let Hiccup escape, and he didn't expect Hiccup to train the Scauldrons. The Scauldrons kind of were his back-up plan, just in case ships did show up, but obviously, his back-up plan backfired on him. :D I love it when the plans backfire on the villains. :D YES SCREAMING DEATH OMGOSH! :D :D :D :D :D**

 **OechsnerC: Thanks! :D**

 **Shizuku Tsukishima749: GO HICCUP! Yes, Hiccup and the dragon riders rule, Viggo and his army drools (I normally don't like using that term, but this time, we can make an exception. XD), and TOOTHLESS REUNION. YES. :D**

 **Jo: Viggo will come up with some plan for revenge, which is why we're talking about a sequel. :) And YES. I think it was really important that Hiccup beat Viggo, not only at Maces and Talons, but as the war as a whole, because he lost so much of his confidence when he lost to Viggo before. :)**

 **hiccupandtoothless294: GO HICCUP! :D**

 **SnivyDragon: Yep. You don't want to get on Toothless' bad side, EVER. :) And I don't know about Dagur, honestly! Do you know what I'm kind of hoping happens? It probably won't happen, but it'd be cool if it did...Dagur turns good at the last minute. He looks back at all he did, saw no real motive behind it, and helped the dragon riders...and then, he SACRIFICES himself for the dragon riders (because there's no mention of him at all in HTTYD2). It's far fetched, probably, I know, but could you imagine...? Maybe it's just me. XD**

 **Guest (#1): Here's more! :D**

 **Carly Marley: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *waves hand* Dagur, you will not act like a barbarian. Dagur: I will not act like a barbarian. Me: You will apologize to everyone. Dagur: I will apologize to everyone. Me: Including the readers of the story, because lots of them hate you. Dagur: Including the readers of the story, because a lot of them hate me. Me: You may go about your business. Dagur: I will go about my business. Me: Go home. Dagur: Going home. XDXDXD WAY TOO MUCH FUN, OH MY GOSH. XDXDXD And Hiccup is so sweet. ;)**

* * *

Hiccup woke up in a place he didn't recognize at first: the bottom deck of a Berkian ship. He sat up and shivered. He was still soaking wet from the dip he took in the ocean. He pulled a quilt around his shoulders and looked around.

He wasn't able to do much looking before Toothless' tongue slid across his face, and Hiccup scowled and laughed both at once. "Toothless!" he shouted, and he hugged Toothless tightly around the dragon's neck, just relieved that through it all, Toothless was alright. "You okay?"

Toothless growled in what could only be a yes and nuzzled Hiccup's chest so hard Hiccup was almost knocked over. Hiccup finally pulled back to let himself breathe and looked around.

He listened closely. No shouting. No fighting.

"Did we win?"

Toothless growled, smiled with his teeth sheathed, and nodded.

"Oh, good." Hiccup stood, wobbling only slightly. He was still lightheaded. He headed up the steps leading to the upper deck of the ship.

Almost instantly, he was taken in a bone-crushing hug by the only person he knew who could hug him that tight.

"Hey, Dad," said Hiccup.

Stoick released his grip and pulled back, finally giving Hiccup room to breathe. "Are you alright?" Stoick asked instantly. "They didn't hurt you?"

"No," said Hiccup, shaking his head. "Fine. I'm just a little...well, tired is the first thing that comes to mind…"

"Bucket said you were unconscious."

"I was," said Hiccup, "but that was...sort of my own fault…" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Swallowed a little too much water trying to train the Scauldrons..."

Stoick sighed heavily. "I was wondering why those Scauldrons stopped attacking us...be more careful next time, Hiccup. You were lucky today, but you might not be so lucky another day."

"I will," Hiccup said, shaking his head. "I know-"

"But I'm proud of you," said Stoick, lifting Hiccup's chin with two fingers. "You did good." He clapped Hiccup on the shoulder and nearly knocked him over. "Shoulders back, chin up, son," he said before turning and leaving for his other ship, the one leading the rest of the armada. Hiccup's shoulders slumped. Toothless stepped up beside him and cooed.

"Honestly, Toothless," said Hiccup, smiling faintly, "I was expecting a little more of a lecture."

...

Astrid landed Stormfly on the ship she had left Hiccup on and slid off her dragon's back. Hiccup was standing, very much awake and with more color to his face than the last time she'd seen him, beside Toothless, a quilt draped over his shoulders. At the sound of Stormfly hitting the deck, he turned and smiled at Astrid, almost in relief.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," said Astrid. "How's it going?"

"Better than expected," said Hiccup. "I didn't manage to get the Dragon Eye while we were there...I should've tried, I guess, but there wasn't much time...we didn't even make it to port."

"Yeah, we didn't have time to grab that, either," said Astrid, "but the Dragon Eye wasn't what we were after."

Hiccup gazed at her, almost questioningly, and then, he looked back down.

"Hiccup, you don't understand," said Astrid. "It doesn't matter that Viggo has the Dragon Eye right now. We beat him."

"I know," said Hiccup, "but I hate to think of the danger you guys had to put yourselves in for me…"

"Hey, we're dragon riders," said Astrid. "Danger is what we do. And anyways, you're worth more to us than a thousand Dragon Eyes. Worth more to me."

"Well, thanks, but-"

She kissed him and cut him off instantly. It didn't last more than a few seconds, but when she pulled back, they were both smiling, although Hiccup did look a bit confused.

"That was probably really unexpected," Astrid said, moving her bangs out of her face.

"Nah," said Hiccup coolly, throwing an arm around her shoulders. "I've gotten used to it." At the smile on his face, Astrid couldn't help but beam back at him.

Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins landed their dragons on the ship beside Stormfly, and once they had dismounted, all the dragons except Toothless shot back into the air; they had been weighing down the ship.

"Hiccup!" they called, racing over.

"Oh man, that was so amazing!" said Fishlegs, who seemed simply beside himself. "You trained a Scauldron, just like Ruffnut did...but how did you do it so quickly? It took us hours to gain the last Scauldron's trust!"

"The Scauldron was already furious with the dragon hunters," said Hiccup. "When I unlocked its chains, it left to free the rest of the Scauldrons. I guess it just realized we weren't the enemy."

"Still, though!" said Fishlegs.

"And Hiccup," said Tuffnut, "you know how you've been feeling down? Well, Ruffnut and I prepared a speech. Ready, Ruffnut?"

"Ready, dear brother!" said Ruffnut, saluting.

"Oh, this has _got_ to be good," said Snotlout, leaning back against a barrel.

Tuffnut cleared his throat. "Hiccup Haddock," he said, "us Thorstons of the Thorston house welcome thee into the Thorston family!"

"We welcome thee indeed," said Ruffnut as if she had rehearsed, "and look to thee as our brother-in-insanity."

"Thee are more brilliant than Viggo," said Tuffnut, "even though thee were bested by him-"

Ruffnut broke out of character. "I thought we agreed on 'were slaughtered' by him," she said.

"No, we changed it at the last minute-"

"Oh, Thor, they're staring at us-"

"Now I'm embarrassed-"

Hiccup chuckled and shook his head fondly. "No, it's fine," he said. "I always thought of you guys - _all_ of you guys - as my family anyways."

"Oh," said Ruffnut and Tuffnut in unison.

"So you mean we embarrassed ourselves for no reason?" said Ruffnut, looking at Tuffnut. "Why do we always do that?"

"Honestly though, Hiccup," said Tuffnut. "Don't feel bad just because Viggo beat you. You're still the smartest person _we_ know."

"Thanks, guys," said Hiccup.

"So what happened while you were captured?" said Snotlout. "Was Viggo as creepy as ever? What about Ryker? Dagur?"

"Yeah, they were all the same," said Hiccup. "I got interrogated, questioned, threatened...the works. But Dagur was...weird. He made me fight him, and let me go when I told him Viggo's only using him."

"He let you _go?"_ said Fishlegs.

"Why would he do that?" asked Astrid.

"Because," said Hiccup, "letting me go was the opposite of what Viggo wanted. I think part of Dagur is rebelling against Viggo and the dragon trappers."

"Well, let's hope so," said Snotlout. "Dagur _and_ the dragon hunters, working together, is _not_ a good thing."

"Why did they kidnap you in the first place?" said Astrid. "What were they trying to do?"

"They wanted to know which way was the best way to get into Berk," said Hiccup, "to take the dragons...and Viggo tried to get me to join them, but obviously, I didn't. We played Maces and Talons for a while, though...you know, the actual board game."

Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins exchanged glances. Then, they looked at Hiccup again.

"Who won?" said Ruffnut eventually, almost shyly.

Hiccup shrugged. "I did," he said, "but-"

" _You_ beat Viggo!?" said Tuffnut. "Oh! So the speech was entirely unnecessary!"

"But there's more to it than just _me_ beating him. When we played Maces and Talons," said Hiccup, "the _actual_ board game...I realized what was doing wrong the whole time, why I couldn't beat him. I realized what made me lose last time. I was trying to do it alone, by myself. I thought it was just me against Viggo, and no one could help me...but I was wrong. I don't have to be smarter than Viggo, or better than he is, or the best at strategy. I just have to realize...I'm not alone. We fight together, as a team, and when we win or lose, we do it as a team.

"And that's what sets me apart from Viggo," said Hiccup. "Viggo thinks people are expendable, and that caring is a disadvantage...but he's wrong. He may be strong by himself, but together, as a team, we're stronger than Viggo ever was and will ever be.

"So, I guess...thanks for being there for me."

"Awwww!" said Fishlegs. "Come here!" And before Hiccup even had the chance to prepare himself, Fishlegs was crushing him in a tight embrace.

"Hey!" said Ruffnut. "We want to hug him, too!" She and Tuffnut quickly joined the embrace, and Astrid rolled her eyes and did the same.

"Hey!" protested Snotlout. "No one is having a group hug...without me!" And he joined in the hug as well.

It was the first group hug the riders had ever actually had, and although it became a tad bit awkward the longer it went on, Hiccup still found contentment in the embrace of his friends. When they finally broke the embrace, Hiccup smiled at each of them in turn.

"Alright, gang," he said. "Let's fly home."

The riders whistled to their dragons, and once they were mounted, they took to the sky.

 _Today, I learned one of the most valuable things I could ever know._

"Yeaha!" said Snotlout, Hookfang soaring quickly, wings alighted on fire. "We're on fire, baby! Literally! OW, OW, TOO LITERALLY! OW!"

 _You're a lot stronger with friends than you are without. When life gets dark, and enemies attack, it's good to know your friends will always be by your side, until the very end._

Toothless swooped, and the dragons flew into the light of the rising sun, the ships sailing through the water in their wake.

…

On the shores of the dragon hunter's base island, Viggo stepped, soaked by saltwater and looking worse than anyone had seen him. The men were hauling up the remains of the ship, Dagur and Ryker among them, each of them looking worse for wear, some of them sprouting bruises from the fire that had been aimed by the dragons to the catapults.

The Scauldrons had wrecked their ships; all of them. They were in ruins, never to sail again unless great repair befell them. Viggo was relieved they hadn't brought all of the ships in their fleet, because they would have been in quite the predicament if they had, as all the ones they had taken out were in ruins.

Viggo looked to the skies, lit by the rising sun of the new day. It could have been his imagination, but he was sure he saw the flying forms of five dragons with dragon riders on each back, whooping in triumph.

"I told you," panted Ryker as he, gasping heavily, limped over to his brother, eyes gleaming in the pleasure of being right. "That boy is more trouble than he's worth. If you had listened to me-"

"The outcome would not have changed," said Viggo. "I tried to convert the boy to our side. That was the reason we kidnapped him in the first place."

"But you failed," said Ryker. "Admit it, Viggo. You _failed_."

"This time, perhaps," said Viggo, "but this time, I still had hopes that the boy would join us. Now, my decision has changed, and next time, I will not be dissuaded by anything."

"Dissuaded," spat Ryker. "You should've thrown him to the Scauldrons when you had the chance."

"Throwing him to the Scauldrons would not have made a difference," said Viggo crossly. "He trained the Scauldrons to attack us. I have yet to learn how he did it, but he did it nonetheless."

"Still," said Ryker. "You could have done something other than sit around and play board games with him! You could have killed him yourself! You could've let Dagur over there have his way. I'm sure he could think of many painful deaths for the boy-"

"The boy will die," said Viggo. "That is my decision. But when it happens, we mustn't make it slow, or agonizing, or painful. We must be quick. We must do it silently and quickly, but at the same time, gruesomely enough to leave a mark."

"Poison? It would be easy enough to do."

"But poison does not leave a big enough mark. We need something to scare the courage out of Hiccup's dragon riders. Something to make them stop and reconsider their decisions, should they try and return for the Dragon Eye."

"What kind of mark do you want to make?" Ryker was almost excited; this was what he was good at. _Violence_.

"A stab ought to do it," said Viggo, "but unfortunately, dear brother, I cannot have you perform this task for me. This battle is between me and Hiccup. What you can do, however, whilst I am getting the pestilence of a boy out of the way, is prepare the fleet."

"Why?"

"Because," said Viggo, "we are going to assassinate the heir of Berk. You have to guess the Berkians are going to fight to avenge him, haven't you?"

Ryker smiled cruelly, for once agreeing with his brother's plan. Viggo looked down as a wave swept against the sand and pulled itself back, leaving, right at Viggo's feet, as if fate had put it there, the Great Viking Chief piece to the Maces and Talons game. Viggo bent down and picked it up, running a thumb against the smooth surface.

Then, with his thumb and his index finger, he snapped the piece in two and threw it back for the ocean to devour.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **And so ends "Skeletons in the Closet." I hope you all enjoyed it thoroughly! :D And in case it wasn't obvious, it was Ryker with the "skeleton in his closet", by trying to hide the fact that he lost his birthright to Viggo (which is my headcanon, by the way. I don't know** _ **why**_ **Viggo is superior to Ryker in canon. XD), and sort of-kind of Dagur, too, with Dagur's slightly wavering alliance with the dragon hunters.**

 **So, anyways, this story will be getting a SEEEEQQUUUEEELLL! (I think). Maybe! If you guys want a sequel, I'll give you one! But of course, it'll play off everything that happened in this story, which means it'll include the scene where Viggo tries to kill Hiccup. You'll have to see how that turns out. :D**

 **DO YOU WANT A SEQUEL? I REPEAT, DO YOU WANT A SEQUEL?** **I won't be asking again. XD If there is a sequel, it'll be called "Total War" and have two parts: Total War Part 1, and Total War Part 2. Let me know what you think about it! If there is a sequel, I can tell you straight forward, it will have:**

 **Hiccup and Stoick feels.**

 **Hiccup and Astrid feels.**

 **Lots of war.**

 **Lots of Viggo.**

 **Furious Astrid.**

 **DOOM, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **(Maybe not in part 1, but in part 2 for sure. XD)**

 **So let me know, guys! My decision lies in your typing fingers! :D Love you all!**

 **Cheers! :D**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


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